Charles Warner|Daily Times The Duncan Acres United Methodist Church Choir practices for their upcoming Christmas concert around the church altar. Originally scheduled for Sunday, the concert has had to be postponed due to a medical emergency involving a family member of the church organist and a choir member. The choir, however, is continuing to rehearse for the concert which will be rescheduled.

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UNION — For the time in more than 40 years the Christmas concert by the Duncan Acres United Methodist Church has been postponed, but the choir’s director says plans are for the concert to be rescheduled for a later date.

The concert had been scheduled for Sunday, but Ronnie Lybrand, choir director, said a medical emergency involving a member of the family of the church’s organist and a choir member forced the postponement of the concert. Lybrand said this was the first time in his experience that the choir has had to postpone its annual Christmas concert.

“I’ve been singing with the choir for 45 years and this first this has happened,” Lybrand said.

Despite the postponement, Lybrand and his fellow choir members gathered in the church sanctuary this week to rehearse the concert which they still plan to present later this month.

“We’ve not rescheduled it yet,” Lybrand said. “We do intend to have it.”

Lybrand said that, as in the past, the concert will feature congregational singing as well as the performance of Christmas anthems, both by the choir as a group and solos by individual members.

Even though it has had to postpone the concert, Lybrand said the choir continues to play its part in the church’s ministry.

“The choir’s main objective is to lead worship,” Lybrand said.

Editor Charles Warner can be reached at 864-427-1234, ext. 14, or by email at cwarner@heartlandpublications.com.