Night of Music still a boon for Holmes Share-A-Christmas
The Good News Gospel Trio, a men’s trio out of Medina County, includes Howard Russell, Tyler Skidmore and Dan Pernod. The group joined Timothy Noble, who is currently a feature performer in Branson, Missouri, to create some Christmas joy through music at the annual SAC Night of Music.
Over nearly the past two decades, Jann Hershberger has utilized the talents of numerous local musicians, singers and actors to create a line-up for her annual Holmes County Share-A-Christmas Night of Music.
The concert, which this year took place Sunday, Dec. 1 at Martins Creek Mennonite Church near Berlin, continues to be an avenue for locals to showcase their talent while raising money for a great cause.
But over the past few years, Hershberger’s show has begun to draw interest from outside the area, as some talented musicians have signed on to perform.
This year features a new group, The Good News Gospel Trio, a men’s trio out of Medina County. The group includes Howard Russell, Dan Pernod and Tyler Skidmore. Hershberger heard them sing and was so impressed she invited them to perform at the SAC concert. To hear Russell tell the story, it was meant to be from the moment he picked up his phone to receive Hershberger’s call.
“As I was talking to her, it was so powerful that my phone exploded, fell to the floor and I lost the call,” Russell said as he explained how they eventually agreed to sing at the concert. “Because of the way it happened, I didn’t have her number to call her back, but fortunately she called me back the next day.”
In reality Russell dropped his phone and the battery fell out. He made fun of himself for that but said they were excited about the opportunity to come to Holmes County and share in the Night of Music.
Russell said a connection with Janie Terwilleger, who has sung at the concert the past couple of years, connected the dots.
“We love singing, and we were very excited about the opportunity to come here and share through our music,” Russell said. “Our main hope is that we are able to bring glory to God, and this Christmas season provides such a clear, open and loving way when people’s hearts are open to that message. We had heard about the energy of this concert, and we were delighted to come down. That it is a fundraiser for such a wonderful cause only made it more exciting for us to be a part of this.”
Another out-of-town staple over the years has been the professional sounds of Timothy and Hosanna Noble, who are currently performing in Branson, Missouri with nationally renowned pianist and performer Dino Kartsonakis.
Timothy Noble, who plays the piano and sings, and his wife Hosanna Noble, who sings and plays the violin, have performed at the SAC Night of Music. Before that, Timothy Noble performed at the concert with his family, who hail from Knox County near Mt. Vernon.
“We love this community, and we are excited to come back each year and help to raise money for such an amazing cause,” Noble said.
A pianist from a young age, Noble said he began taking vocal lessons six years ago and has seen a great change in his ability there. While he is performing on the big stage in Branson, he said he still loves the intimacy of coming home to do shows like Night of Music.
“That is a setting I never get tired of because it is very family oriented,” Noble said. “This is a neat setting, and it is heartwarming to come back and perform because we do have some family and friends that come.”
Noble said performing for a living with a great deal of travel and many performances can be taxing, but it is something he loves, and he cherishes every opportunity.
“To me it is exciting to create music from the ground up,” Noble said. “Tonight was actually our first Christmas concert featuring our new material, so it was fun to go through it and see how people respond.”
The concert raised upward of $3,700 for Holmes County Share-A-Christmas, and it will help provide toys, goods and presents for close to 230 area families.
For SAC chairman Bob Porter, who has seen his fair share of Night of Music concerts, the talent level is something to marvel at.
“This is pretty unbelievable to have these professional people join all of our local talent, and it creates such a unique and wonderful Christmas experience for such a great cause,” Porter said. “What they raise here goes to take care of family after family during Share-A-Christmas, and I am sure that many of the people here in attendance have given elsewhere.”
Porter said while the joy of music and Christmas is what brings people to the concert, the underlying joy comes from giving to a cause that has helped area families for a quarter-century.
“We’ve had a phenomenal year so far, and we are actually down in the number of families, which is a good thing,” Porter said. “We are so grateful to the many individuals, families, churches and businesses who have given to this cause.”
That giving included more than 16,300 pounds of canned food that was raised through students at schools throughout Holmes County during the annual food drive. Porter said that number represents a new record, and while he can’t imagine topping that number, the students seem to do so year after year in their giving.
“It’s Holmes Countians helping Holmes Countians, and everything we raise stays right here in the county,” Porter said. “That is what makes it so special.”
The delivery date for Share-A-Christmas will take place Dec. 14 at the Baker Building at Harvest Ridge, 8880 OH-39, west of Millersburg, and at NewPointe Church next door. Porter said anyone who would like to volunteer as a driver just needs a bigger SUV, van or pick-up truck and a giving heart.
“GPS is a plus,” Porter said. “Anyone who wants to drive can just show up at NewPointe the morning of Dec. 14 and get the pamphlets and vouchers, then head over to the Baker Building, pick up their packages and do something really special for an area family.”