BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

16/10/2007

Belarus choir will perform locally church

Melissa Cotter, Staff Writer

Among the 23 churches the Belarus National Christian Choir will visit on its fourth tour in the United States will be the First Baptist Church of Rolla.

The Belarus National Choir will make its presentation at First Baptist Church at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22. The church is located at 801 N. Cedar St.

Janae Shepard, director of music for the First Baptist Church, said the church is honored and glad to be one of about 20 churches asked to host the choir's performance. She said the Rolla community has an appreciation for music and art, and she is happy to see the public have the opportunity to hear the choir group.

The Belarus Choir was formed a little more than 20 years ago with members from the evangelical churches of Minsk, Belarus. The group practices more than three hours a week and have given concerts throughout Belarus, Eastern Europe, France, Germany and Russia. Eight of the choir members are graduates of the Academy of Music, and the members' ages range from 18 to 55.

Shepard said some of the members have studied music, and they will be performing sacred and folk music. She said some of the music will be in English and some will be Russian.

There is not an admission charge for the concert. However, there will be a love offering, and all of the funds collected will help with the choir's transportation cost and church planting in the Republic of Belarus.

"The American dollar goes far there," Shepard said.

Shepard said some of the funds will be used to help teach people how to be leaders through the Future Leadership Foundation, a organization sponsoring and traveling with the choir.

Some of the funds collected will help with training those who want to be church leaders, Shepard said. She also said some members are seeking to create a home for the elderly in Belarus.

"As far as church planting goes, it just provides hope for them," Shepard said.

Shepard said people in the Belarus have lived so long oppressed without hope because of past communism.

"They have a strong tradition of music and faith and music, and they had that taken away," Shepard said. "For the people in the choir, this is a once in a lifetime chance."

Overall, Shepard said she is really excited to have the choir coming to the church.

"It was a big task, but for all of us in the church working to get volunteers ready for the (event), we're really glad to help people come on tour," Shepard said.

For more information on the concert, contact Shepard at 364-3060.

Source:

http://www.therolladailynews.com/articles/2007/10/16/news/news05.txt