A Community Christmas Carol Sing is planned for Saturday, December 19, with a number of church choirs already signed up to participate, according to Joanne Autrey who is coordinating the event for Batesville First United Methodist Church.

The idea is for Batesville-area churches to present songs at the Downtown Memorial Park.

“We have permission to use the park all during the day and that night, too,” Autrey said this week. The hours of the concert will depend on the line-up of choirs, she added.

In between choir selections, the audience can join in singing familiar carols, she said.

Churches planning to participate include: Batesville First United Methodist, Mt. Gillion Baptist Church, New Bethlehem M.B. Church, West Camp M.B. Church, Viney Creek M.B. Church, Batesville First Baptist, Batesville Presbyterian, and St. Peter M.B. Church.

Also scheduled to sing are members of the South Panola High School choir and the cast of the Panola Playhouse musical “A Christmas Carol.”

Serving as emcees will be Ricky Swindle and Michael Dixon.

“We’re making an effort to contact all the Batesville area churches,” Autrey said. “If we haven’t been in touch, we’re asking churches to call us at 934-2887 or 563-3574.”
The deadline to register is December 10.