By GAWHARA ABOU-EID, THE STANDARD-JOURNAL

WILLIAMSPORT — When Heather Britton was 4 years old, she surprised her nursery-school teachers by ignoring the usual children’s songs and belting out Foreigner’s “Cold as Ice.” Her mother’s friend, who happened to be substituting that day, told the story so often that Britton’s family still calls it “her song.”

Decades later, Britton — now in her second year as board president of the Susquehanna Valley Chorale — will take the stage with the band whose music marked her earliest memories.

Members of the Susquehanna Valley Chorale (SVC) are set to perform with Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Foreigner on Dec. 13 at the Journey Bank Community Arts Center (CAC) in Williamsport. The chorale will join the band on the chorus of “I Want to Know What Love Is.” According to the CAC, the show is nearly sold out, with VIP packages already gone.

Foreigner — which was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024 — is touring with Luis Maldonado (lead vocals/guitar), Jeff Pilson (bass), Michael Bluestein (keyboards), Bruce Watson (guitars) and Chris Frazier (drums) as they celebrate 50 years of music. Original lead singer Lou Gramm will guest on several songs during the tour.

For Britton, who is in her 17th season as an SVC singer, the performance blends nostalgia with artistic excitement.

“There’s a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in growing up with their music,” she said. “It’s a fun bit of nostalgia to sing along. And the fact that Lou Gramm will be there is pretty exciting.”

She added that the collaboration could help raise awareness for the chorale’s own work, especially as it heads into a busy weekend with a separate concert the day after the Foreigner show.

The chorale will present its Candlelight Christmas Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at Zion Lutheran Church, 15 S. Fifth St., Sunbury.

“We’re really grateful for the opportunity,” Britton said. “I’m hoping it’ll raise some awareness about the music that we perform too and gain us some audience numbers.”

Britton added the chorale expects a packed house.

Bluestein said performing with community choirs is part of the band’s long-running commitment to supporting music and arts education.

“It excites me because… this is a big part of our push to keep awareness around music and arts programs in schools,” he said. “We just feel like music programs and arts programs are so important for kids’ development.”

The band members regularly invite choirs to join them onstage and holds contests to identify local groups.

“That’s been our main music push,” Bluestein said. “We’ll continue to do that.”

Although Foreigner has performed throughout Central Pennsylvania before, Bluestein said the energy in the region stands out.

“We definitely have strong support and very enthusiastic fans from that part of the country,” he said.

He noted the group will perform the chorus of “I Want to Know What Love Is” as originally recorded, which featured a choir in the 1984 music video.

“They kind of have to fit in with our tempo,” he said. “It’s your job to kind of make your part fit in with what’s already happening.”

Britton echoed that the chorale won’t know the final balance and projection until they rehearse on site. Still, she said the Chorale is ready.

“I’m very confident that we can do it and perform some beautiful harmonies if that’s what they want,” she said.

Britton noted the partnership reflects a larger need for collaboration as arts organizations continue to recover from pandemic-related declines.

“A lot of choral groups, performing arts groups, theater groups are all struggling since COVID,” she said. “Partnerships and word promotion from bands like Foreigner are going to make the difference.”

She said the SVC is talking with other regional groups about how to reinvigorate audiences and get them “back out and into the seats.”

The chorale has previously collaborated with bluegrass group Monroe Crossing and regularly performs popular music in its annual Pops concert, but Britton said she cannot recall partnering with a major rock act.

For Bluestein, who joined the band in 2008, the show carries a dash of personal history as well. He recalled hearing Foreigner as a child at a Papa Gino’s in Massachusetts, where “Hot Blooded” played on a tabletop jukebox.

“I remember playing ‘Hot Blooded’ on the little mini jukebox,” he said. “I just loved that tune.”

Now, with the band marking half a century, the upcoming performance continues a tradition of connecting generations through music — including one SVC singer who first discovered Foreigner before kindergarten.

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By Tricia Kline For The Daily Item

SUNBURY — On Sunday, the Susquehanna Valley Chorale will open its new concert season performing before an audience that will include the composer of the featured composition, Gloria.

Michael J. Glasgow, of Raleigh, N.C., is an award-winning composer of organ, handbell and choral works, with more than 60 commissions to his name and more than 23 years in a full-time church-music career. In June 2017, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall with his “Requiem” for chorus and orchestra, which he then took it to its European premiere in Vienna in June 2019. He has traveled throughout the United States and the world with more than 170 engagements. He has been named a Distinguished Composer and Conductor by MidAmerica Productions, and will return to Carnegie Hall in June to conduct Gloria.

Dr. Bill Payn, music director and conductor of the Susquehanna Valley Chorale, said they were looking forward to Glasgow also being around for their dress rehearsals and offering insights about his creative process.

“Michael is a dynamic, energizing musician who connects well with people and music, and as such is sought after for conducting engagements throughout the country and abroad,” Payn said.

According to Payn, 80 singers will be performing, accompanied by a large orchestra.

They will open the concert performing Gloria, which he said is in three movements reflecting the Latin text, “Gloria in Excelsis Deo.” The first, he said is “jubilant praise,” the second “a quiet prayer,” and the third, “an explosive celebration culminating in ecstatic ‘Amens.’”

Then, during the second half of the program, SVC will perform Te Deum “We Praise Thee O God” by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak.

“The full forces of orchestra, soloists and 80 singers is, at times, quite overwhelming,” he said. “It is only 20 minutes long, but fills those 20 minutes with dramatic impact and a rich tradition of a choral classic.”

Payn, who will retire in May after 30 years as the conductor and music director of the chorale and orchestra, said he chose these two selections for the first concert of his final season “because of their celebratory nature and because I have always enjoyed coupling a new work with a well-known choral masterpiece.”

The program will feature two guest soloists, soprano Jill Gardner and bass/baritone Tim LeFebvre.

The music, the singers and the “visual grandeur of Zion Lutheran Church,” Payn said, is why he’s calling this performance a “choral/orchestral spectacular.”

“This extraordinary performance will surely highlight the chorale’s rich history and showcase the incredible talent of our singers, instrumentalists and soloists,” he said.

While the SVC’s performances each season take place at various venues, Payn said for his final year he has chosen to perform three of them at the church, “because it has consistently remained my most favorite environment for choral/orchestra concerts. It is a beautiful structure with a highvaulted ceiling that lends itself to the perfect acoustic for our performances.”

Kelly Beard, executive director of the SVC, said their mission is “to inspire a love of great choral music,” and that mission includes both historic classic work and contemporary pieces. Exactly what Sunday’s concert will bring to the audience.

“Continuing our mission means keeping choral music alive in the valley area and touching the hearts of the community in a unique and meaningful way,” she said. “Think of life without music and how quiet our dreams would be without a melody to inspire us.”

Read more: Susquehanna Valley Chorale to perform ‘Gloria’ and ‘Te Deum’ at Sunday concert

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