Covered Bridge Chorus to Sing at Tiskilwa’s Country Christmas on December 8

To help everyone “Catch the Spirit” during Tiskilwa’s Country Christmas, the Covered Bridge Chorus will be bringing their own special brand of harmony to the Museum on Main. The popular barbershop singers will begin their program of holiday music at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 8. There may even be a couple of singalongs for the audience to share in the music of the season.

Since the early 1970s, singers of all ages and walks of life from throughout Bureau County have performed as a chapter of the national Barbershop Harmony Society, an organization founded in 1938. The current group, under the direction of Dale Fiste, will provide their joyful sounds to help the Tiskilwa Historical Society continue its annual tradition of supporting the Bureau County Food Pantry. To this end, the only “price of admission” will be bringing along a few food items for the pantry.

The Covered Bridge Chorus will perform on Saturday, December 8, beginning at 11:00 a.m. in the community room at Tiskilwa’s Museum on Main. The group recently performed at Princeton Public Library to a large and enthusiastic crowd, according to program director Laurie Anderson, who snapped this photo.

Clarification: Previous promotions for Country Christmas announced Phil and Pam Kaufmann as the performers at the society’s annual concert. However, when scheduling conflict developed for the Kaufmanns, the Covered Bridge Chorus gallantly stepped in. The historical society is pleased to host the C.B. Chorus at their first performance in a Tiskilwa venue.

The Barbershop Harmony Society’s purpose is to preserve and extend the reach of a uniquely American, close-harmony musical art form whose roots lie in African-American improvisation and European harmony traditions. With active programs in music education, publishing, performance, and outreach, the Society reaches over 27,000 yearly.

Other events on December 8 will include a bake sale at the Community Church, Lionel trains at the museum, an open house at the Bible Church, crafts at the library, and “Meet the Innkeepers” at the new Tiskilwa Inn. The Tiskilwa Community Association has lined Main Street with trees decorated by local organizations. The whole event provides a good opportunity to “Walk Tiskilwa” and enjoy the benefits of small-town volunteerism.