This is the Corning Opera House.

It was built in 1902.

Opera houses were built as gathering centers.

Not so much for singing opera.

So there were lots of fiddle contest and lots of glee clubs, declamatory speech contest.

And so that's kind of what we wanted it to be more of a gathering place for people.

We're doing a Christmas cantata and it tells the story about Christmas, Jesus birth.

I've done one in church for many, many years and this one's called O Holy Night.

It's the first time for a Christmas one at the opera house.

We've done a couple of Easter ones.

First time for Christmas.

I love to sing.

I love music.

I've always said it's the chocolate to my soul.

Music has always been a big part of my life.

De Heaton actually was my piano teacher from kindergarten all the way through high school.

I know De from college and I'm on the board here at the Opera House, and I started performing in high school and then eventually went to Morningside and graduated with a BME music education.

I believe in the power of music to unite people and to lift people up.

I have a music major, I have a master's in education and I just believe in the power of music and the arts.

I love to see people laughing and it just helps the camaraderie and the learning even there's people that will sit there and nudge each other, Hey you missed a note, or did I miss that?

So, you know, they help each other out and it's good.

It's kind of fun that some of the people that taught me all about music that I know they're still teaching me about music as we go forward.

And so we're always challenging each other and pushing ourselves to be better musically and to be better people too.

Turn to your neighbor and tell them good job.

Good job.

Good job.

Its the beginning of the Christmas season.

And it'll help remind you what the reason for Christmas is.

Well, I really believe in the birth of Christ and in Jesus, and I believe this is a very uplifting story.

A couple of songs are Oh, Holy Night and Silent Night and Walking on Hallowed Ground.

And a lot of those have a lot of special meaning to me.

It's not about the gifts, it's about the people, it's about the family.

It's about singing around the tree.

It's about your faith and the happiness that this season brings.

We get to usher in the holiday.

That's kind of cool.

We just kind of want everybody to remember why we're celebrating these holidays, how thankful we are for Thanksgiving and and especially Christmas with the birth of Christ and and celebrate celebrate the joy of Christmas.

On hallowed ground, it has some really cool harmonies.

And I just love the way that moves and O Holy Night has some really special moments in this that the choir even talks about how it gives them goose bumps to sing it.

We are the smallest county in the entire state in land and people, but we have so much going on.

We have an arts center.

Our main street is a cute little shops.

Everything you needs right here.

I want people to come and enjoy the arts and to learn about the opera house.

Just being in this building is it's kind of breathtaking the first time you're in here because you don't know what to expect.

It's like, Oh, this is really a cool building.

I hope that they get sparked with the excitement of Christmas and remembering the true reason for the season and not just the Christmas shopping and the lights and the sounds and everything, but take that joy with them from November all the way through the Christmas season and throughout the year.

I felt this was a great way to bring, unite people again.

And part of it is to support your family and your friends and your neighbors and and the other part is to support the opera house in the arts.

And, you know, we're all about fellowship and and just friendship and being together.

I like to put the unity in community.