News & Announcements

The Oxford Community Chorus with orchestra, under the direction of Don Gobler, delighted an Oxford Performing Arts Center audience on Tuesday, November 19, with an hour-long concert of holiday music.

The annual free concert is co-sponsored by the city of Oxford and the Oxford Arts Council.

With a mix of traditional and unique arrangements of Christmas classics, the 60-voice chorus demonstrated its ability to master both challenging acapella arrangements and those from the standard holiday songbook.

The chorus also replicated Barbra Streisand’s high-energy version of “Jingle Bells,” paying tribute to the late Charles Battles, who served as the chorus’ Santa for many years.

OPAC Director John Longshore opened the evening by calling out Jane Batey from the chorus, where she was recognized with a formal reading of the proclamation approved last month by the city council, which called for the day of the concert to be recognized in honor of this founding member of the Oxford Arts Council.

Mayor Alton Craft joined Batey on stage where he shared some laughs with the honoree, recalling her years of supporting the arts in Oxford before presenting her with the proclamation plaque.

The Oxford Arts Council hosted a reception for Batey in the OPAC Studio after the concert.

The Oxford Community Chorus will perform its spring concert at OPAC on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.