The Sounds of Christmas Choral Festival and Homemade Cookie Sale, an annual event sponsored by the Lemont Area Historical Society, features some of the best choirs in Lemont. This year will be no different.

“People come back every year to hear them,” said Susan Donahue, the historical society’s secretary. “Come for an hour and spend the afternoon (with us) this Sunday.”

The cookie sales begin at 1 p.m. Performances run from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, at the Old Stone Church, 306 Lemont St.

“It will be an afternoon of musical entertainment featuring the sounds of the season, and every nook and cranny of the museum will be decorated to add a very festive mood,” Donahue added.

One of event chair Rose Yates’ favorite groups is the combined choir from St. Alphonsus (St. Al’s) Church.

“They are a large group with fantastic energy — always a nice choice of songs, and they bring all kinds of instruments,” she said.

The church choir is directed by Joseph Martorano, a resident of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and voice professor at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. Directing St. Al’s choirs is a “cherished music ministry,” Martorano said.

Stepping into the directorship about 10 years ago, Martorano said the total church choir membership — there are six groups — has grown from a dozen or so individuals to more than 80. Rarely performing together, the combined group has come to the Choral Festival for five or six years now, which is a real treat.

“I really believe, as far as a suburban music ministry, we should come together as one instead of six different choirs,” Martorano said. ”Every year, I bring the majority of the parish orchestral ensemble, the parish choir and the children’s choir. And this year, I’m including my strings, so it will be representational of the whole orchestral ensemble.

“Our reception there has always been wonderful!” he added. “The center has always been just packed, which is always nice.”

Yates herself is a member of St. Patrick’s Church Choir, and they will also perform.
According to Donahue, they also are fantastic.

“I think they’ve only missed once in all the years we’ve been doing this, and they always have a few surprises,” she said. “They might feature a quartet or add jingle bells and they always sing a few secular songs like ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ especially for the kids.”

The festival also will include Lemont High School, who have an excellent reputation, Yates said.
“I think the program should appeal to anyone,” she said. “They all have so much enthusiasm.”

“Come and make this a part of your holiday tradition,” Donahue said. “I always look forward to it because it fills me with the Christmas spirit.”

For more information, call (630) 257- 2972.

More festive treats abound, so remember to check the Lemont Reporter/Met guide.

Upcoming calendar items include a holiday open house and concert from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Lemont Public Library, 50 E. Wend St. Plus, for the first time, there will be extensive window displays in downtown Lemont. Among them will be “Bethlehem” by David Hickey — a creation made of thousands of hand-crafted Fontanini pieces, Santa’s workshop, Winnie the Pooh and more.