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Lincoln Area Music Society
celebrates the season at their Winter Concert
[December 09, 2025]
The Lincoln Area Music Society
(LAMS) presented its Winter Concert on December 6 and 7 in the
Lincoln Community High School auditorium featuring a variety of
Christmas carols and wintertime songs. The concert began with a
special prelude– the debut performance of the Railsplitter Ringers,
Lincoln’s new community handbell and chimes choir. Directed by Calob
Pluhm and Darlene Begolka, the fifteen-member handbell choir
performed eight Christmas favorites for early-arriving members of
the audience.
The concert officially began as
Master of Ceremonies Dr. Richard Knopp welcomed the audience to the
concert. The handbell choir then joined the Chorale for their first
song, “Christmastime,” by Michael W. Smith and Joanna Calson.
Continuing with the Christmas bells theme, the Chorale, directed by
Dr. Dinelle Frankland and accompanied by Kay Dobson, sang “Silver
Bells” by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. This number was followed by
“A One Horse-Open Sleigh (In a Jingly Minor Way),” which sounded
suspiciously like the perennial favorite “Jingle Bells,” albeit with
a minor-key twist.
The LAMS orchestra, conducted by
Calob Pluhm, followed the Chorale’s first set with an arrangement of
“From the Realms of Glory” from Patrick Roszell and then “We Three
Kings” arranged by John Tatgenhorst, a prolific arranger of
television music. The orchestra concluded their first portion of the
concert with “The Lighter Side of Christmas” arranged by Frank
Richards.
The President of the LAMS Board of
Directors, Jennifer Gillum, took a moment to thank the patrons of
LAMS and the community donors who support the organization. She also
thanked the audience for their attendance at the annual Winter
Concert and invited them back for the Spring Concert in April and
summer band concerts at Latham Park in June. Next the Chorale took
the stage again for the second portion of their performance
beginning with the traditional French carol, “Masters in This Hall,”
and then “Christmas in About Three Minutes” arranged by Mark Weston
and packed with 23 different Christmas carols.
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The orchestra’s second set
began with “Christmas Vacation,” music from the movie of the
same name. They continued with “Fantasia on O Come, O Come
Emmanuel" by Rene Clausen. Their final song was the rousing
"Sleigh Ride” evoking a winter time frolic in the aforementioned
open sleigh complete with jingle bells, the sound of a cracking
whip, and the whinny of the horse.
Lincoln Area Music Society
performs 'Sleigh Ride' at their Winter Concert -Video
The Chorale then performed a beautiful hymn entitled “Evermore (Of
the Father’s Love Begotten)” set to a traditional plainsong tune
from the 13th century. The words, however, were written in the 4th
century as an orthodox corrective against songs written and promoted
by Arius, who denied the full divinity of Christ. The Chorale was
accompanied on this song by Chris Slaby on violin.
Before the final song, Dr. Knopp invited any former Chorale members
to join the choir for the finale of the concert: “Hark! The Herald
Angels Sing.” Several members of the audience accepted the
invitation for the powerful final number combining the full
orchestra and chorale members.
The LAMS Winter Concert was sponsored by ME Realty, Culver’s of
Lincoln, Eaton Corporation, El Mazatlan Restaurant, Heartland Bank,
Pacesetter, Chris Coyne Insurance Agency/State Farm, Abbott and
Associates, Rohlfs Implement Company, Guesthouse Coffee and
Pastries, and Begolka Farms (Donald and Darlene Begolka), as well as
many community patrons and other local businesses. LAMS is composed
entirely of volunteers, and both the orchestra and the chorale
welcome new members. Rehearsals for the LAMS Spring Concert begin in
February. Please contact:
lincolnareamusicsociety@gmail.com
for more information.
Lincoln Area Music Society Winter Concert - Slideshow
[Stephanie Hall]
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