The Coast Community Chorus, directed by Carolyn Steinbuck, presents their annual Christmas Concert. The group will perform again on Sunday, December 4 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Paul's Community United Methodist Church in Point Arena.

Robert Ray, a lecturer, clinician, conductor, pianist and educator composed "Gospel Mass" in 1978. The piece is Ray's interpretation of 2000 years of liturgical tradition within the more contemporary music style of the Afro-American church. The composer states,

"It is my desire to combine centuries of old traditions of mass settings with sounds of the contemporary Black church. The move from Latin lyrics to English created new opportunities for composers to express their feelings about the texts of the Ordinary of the Mass. I wanted everyone to experience the sense of joy and celebration that is generally felt in true Afro-American worship."

The Mass will be accompanied by Marion James on piano, Daney Dawson on bass, and Dan Albrecht on drums.

The program will also include a selection of holiday pieces, some by traditional composers Handel, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Other lighter pieces will be presented such as "Away in a Manger" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." The audience may join the choir in concluding the evening with some well-known Christmas carols.

The Coast Community Chorus is sponsored by Santa Rosa Junior College. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted at the door. Call 707-877-3222 for more information.

The Gualala Arts Center is located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA.