RichmondCC Choir Performing Free Holiday Concert Dec. 3 at the Cole

Nov. 20, 2025 – The RichmondCC Choir will be hosting its annual Christmas concert on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 6 p.m. at the Cole Auditorium. There is no charge to attend the concert.

The Chorus is now comprised of 16 auditioned members — an almost even blend of Richmond Community College students, employees, and community singers.

“Each semester brings a distinctive mix of talent, imagination, and personality, creating vibrancy of sound and spirit,” said Dr. Kimberly Goard, RichmondCC philosophy instructor who developed the choral program eight years ago.

This year’s concert theme, “A Kid on Christmas,” invites audience members to rediscover the simple magic of the Christmas season.

“The performance is meant to remind every adult in the audience that there is something refreshingly human about allowing ourselves to feel like children again during this season,” Goard said. “Kids young and old can be delighted by the joy that comes more easily, the wonder we experience at the simplest of things that seem magical, and the moments when the sacred feels most near at Christmas.”

The program is a cheerful assortment of beloved holiday classics, familiar favorites with a fresh twist, contemporary selections, and a few timeless hymns to ground the evening in reverence.

“During one rehearsal this semester, I was especially struck by the way each singer listened to one another and resonated together as they sang a delightful rendition of ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem.’ I was struck by the reverence that moment evoked,” Goard said. “I stopped them mid-song just to tell them how impressed I was by the community we share and the beauty they create when their voices unite.

“In a world so often flooded with the trivial and the profane, their ability to rise above it and craft something truly beautiful, in sound and in spirit, deeply moved me! That experience was sublime, and it is something that I think we’d all be better off for if we experienced it more often,” Goard added.

Goard’s professional training is in philosophy, but music has been a constant companion in her life. She has been professionally involved in various musical endeavors since was 15.

“During my high school and college years, choral ensembles gave me the most joy, and so, that became my focus,” Goard said.

When she was hired by RichmondCC as a philosophy instructor, one of the deans mentioned that a chorus would be a welcome addition to the college. Goard immediately offered to start one.

“Eight years later, I continue to be blessed by the wonderful voices and willing hearts that come together to form what I fondly call our RichmondCC Chorus family. Each season has brought new faces, new stories, and new beauty, and I cherish every note each group has produced together,” Goard said.

As a choral director at a community college, Goard is never quite sure what each new semester will bring. She doesn’t know what voice parts and skill levels will show up for an audition or what hidden talents will emerge.

“Yet every year, without fail, we are blessed with a wonderful group. I am so thankful,” she said.

The RichmondCC Chorus offers a free concert each semester at the Cole Auditorium, often inviting special guest performers to bring additional energy and excitement to the stage.

Beyond these main events, the Chorus also performs at other events, including the Seaboard Festival in downtown Hamlet, RichmondCC’s Trick-or-Treat to the Trail, the College’s Convocation, and the NMCA events at Rockingham Dragway. They have also gone Christmas caroling at local assisted living facilities.

“This December, we are honored to add the Richmond County Hospice Forever Tree event to our schedule,” Goard said.