A group of churches recently formed the East Brady Area Community Choir. Members are, front row, from left, Barb Davis, Shirley King, Carolyn Olzak, accompanist, Pat Check, director, Kate Burke and Verna Delano. Second row, from left, Andrea Hillwig, Cindy Boyden, Doris Benninger, Terri Sapp, Judy Gibson and Ruby Kamerer. Back row, from left, Peter Sears, Mark Hillwig, Pete Sapp, David Irwin, Mel Check, Ken Burke and Mitzie Shultz. Members who are not in the photo are Margie Junker, Elinor Robinson, Cheryl Sears and Bob Wolfe.

A group of churches around East Brady has discovered a common voice. That voice is amplified through the newly organized East Brady Area Community Choir, comprising members from a handful of congregations — some too small for a choir of their own.

The choir was formed in September by Patricia Check of Hillville, a member of the Christian Praise and Worship Church in Bradys Bend. Check said she initially proposed the idea to members of the East Brady Ministerium during one of their meetings.

"I asked if they had any reason why I couldn't start something like this," she said. "They said if Ihad the time ... to be their guest."

After enlisting the support of ministerium members and sending letters to area churches, Check was able to assemble about 20 people for the choir.

Members hail from the East Brady Methodist Church, East Brady Baptist Church, Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, Christian Praise and Worship Church, St. Eusebius Roman Catholic Church and St. Paul Community Church near Chicora.

Although the choir performed two songs at a Thanksgiving service Nov. 19 at the East Brady Methodist Church, a more extensive debut will include a cantata this weekend at the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church.

The performance will conclude the communitywide We Believe celebration, a weekend of festivities that begin with a parade on Friday, followed by open houses and other activities in East Brady.

The cantata will be directed by Check, with Carolyn Olzak as accompanist. The Rev. Randall Forester of St. Paul will provide narration, with

Christine Manke and Jeri Morgan of Middleton, Ohio, performing with flags, instruments and dance.Kate Burke of Perry Township, Armstrong County, belongs to the choir along with her husband Kenneth. "We do it because we both like to do it. We like the singing and we like the working from the beginning until (the final performance). It's been a work in progress," she said.Burke said the choir succeeds a previous one organized in the community some years ago.Although two members of the current choir also belonged to the previous one, no one can recall how many years have lapsed since the last group disbanded."It's very interesting, because I manage the senior center in Bradys Bend and probably five of my people who are in their 80s are in this choir," Burke said."We have young men too — a couple guys probably under 30. It's all ages, I would say, from 30 to 80."The Rev. Tom Pesci, pastor of East Brady Baptist Church and president of the ministerium, sees the choir as a way for the spiritual community to unite."We certainly see it as an opportunity for us as brothers and sisters in Christ to reach out to the community with a message of the real meaning of Christmas," he said.Although members have been meeting weekly in preparation for the cantata, Check said she hopes to keep the choir going indefinitely."I think it's going to work out really very well," she said. "If we can make an annual thing out of it, it would be wonderful."

<B>WHAT: T</B>he East Brady Area Community Choir presentation of the Christmas cantata "Touched by a Child, Touched by a King"<B>WHEN: </B>7 p.m. Dec. 3<B>WHERE: </B>Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, Kelly's Way, East Brady<B>INFORMATION: </B>724-526-3109