Jason Britt has been a part of Cumberland County’s music community since he played cello in the strings program at Eastover Elementary School. These days, he serves as director of the Cumberland Oratorio Singers. Britt and the members of COS are currently preparing for the final show of their season, “We Sing to Experience,” set for Friday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m.

With “We Sing to Experience,” Britt, who has a bachelor’s degree in music from Methodist College (now Methodist University) and a master’s degree in music education from East Carolina University, will wrap up his first year as director of the COS. He was notified in March 2017 that he would be serving as the new director, and to hear him talk about his time with COS is to recognize how much he loves working with the ensemble. 

“My favorite aspect of working with COS is that I get to work with people who – down to their core – really enjoy music and have a deep interest for singing in a choir,” he said. “I love working with like-minded people who want to strive toward a common goal.”

The upcoming “We Sing to Experience” will feature performances from the COS, the Cross Creek Chorale, and the Campbellton Youth Chorus. According to Britt, the concert is “comprised of works all choirs should do or have in their libraries. These would be works that are a sort of ‘who’s who’ of choir music.”

The program will feature arrangements of “Sing unto God” by G.F. Handel, “Sicut Locutus Est” by Johann Sebastian Bach, “Achieved is the Glorious Work” by Joseph Haydn and many other classic and familiar choral selections.

Britt is also excited to announce the theme of the Oratorio Singers’ next season – “The Night Was Meant for Music.” The 2018-19 season will include “A Night of Jazz” on October 19; “A Night with the Masters” on March 8, 2019; and “A Night of Stage and Screen” on April 27, 2019.

The 2018-19 season will also see the return of the Fayetteville tradition – a December performance of Handel’s oratorio, “Messiah,” with full orchestra. Between Cole Porter and arrangements of popular Broadway works, the COS’ upcoming season promises to be a crowd-pleaser.

“We Sing to Experience” is scheduled for Friday, April 27, at Haymount United Methodist, 1700 Fort Bragg Rd. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $27. All student admission is free with school ID. The COS also offers discounts for groups of 10 or more.

For more information, email Jason Britt at cumberlandoratoriodirector@gmail.com or Matthew Franks, the president of COS, at cumberlandoratoriosingers@gmail.com. For more information about the COS, visit www.singwithcos.org. Individuals or businesses interested in any of the COS’ many sponsorship levels can contact Mary Potter via phone at 910-822-4447 or by email at claymary25@gmail.com.