The New River Youth Symphony and Chorus will return to the Historic Fayette Theatre in Fayetteville on Thursday, Dec. 6, with a concert beginning at 7 p.m. The group will also visit Tamarack in Beckley on Saturday, Dec. 8 for a 2 p.m. concert.

The fall season concerts will complete the 2007 season for the group and will begin the annual Christmas festivities planned for the town of Fayetteville.

At the evening concert at the Historic Fayette Theatre, the New River Chorus and Symphony will present their entire program. The HFT concert will include an admission fee of $5 per person, with children 7-and-under free. The NRYSC concert will kick off Fayetteville’s Winter Wonderland weekend, which includes activities all day Saturday in addition to the annual parade beginning at 5 p.m. The weekend will conclude with a Community Choir concert at the Fayetteville Presbyterian Church Sunday evening.

The Dec. 8 event at Tamarack will feature the New River Youth Chorus, as well as the string quartet, woodwind quintet, and flute trio. Judith Arnold, chorus director, said, “The boys and girls of the New River Youth Chorus are enthusiastic and talented. Put those together and they produce some fine music and a wonderful sound.”

The Tamarack concert is free to the public.

NRYSC’s 2007 season has included concerts performed throughout Southern West Virginia. At the end of the spring season, a concert took place in May at the United Methodist Temple in Beckley and in June at the grand opening of the Whipple Company Store Museum. The summer season closed in August with a concert at Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg.

Esther Morey, president of NRYSC, said, “The amazing talent of the students, combined with the hard work of parents and staff, is bearing fruit beyond our imagination. The firm foundation that is being laid has incredible potential to foster musical growth and excellence for many years to come in Southern West Virginia.”

“It is a privilege to work with such a fine group of young people, and I look forward to presenting our music to the public at the fall concerts,” added William Bailey, symphony director.

“Each of the three seasons throughout 2007 have brought with them challenges, in which our directors have guided our students by modeling leadership and perseverance, as well as providing musical expertise,” said Agnes Casto, general manager. “Our goal is to develop a core group of committed and talented students that are willing to work hard during rehearsals throughout all three seasons and invest time during the week in daily practice.”

Anyone interested in taking an inside look at either the symphony or chorus can do so by checking out the new NRYSC Web site at www.newrivermusic.org. Auditions for the Spring 2008 season will take place on Monday, March 3, at 5:30 p.m. at Oak Hill High School. Contact Agnes Casto, General Manager, 304-574-3567, P.O. Box 177, Fayetteville, WV 25840, for more information.