Most of you who have read "Nobody Likes it But the People" through the years have learned that although I love good gospel music, I also enjoy other genres along the musical spectrum.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to perform with the Hickory Choral Society and members of the Western Piedmont Symphony in a beautiful concert of sacred music.

The Hickory Choral Society was founded in 1978 under the direction of J. Don Coleman. More than 150 singers from a twelve-county area participate in this outstanding group. The Choral Society has several concerts each year. This year, they brought in two guest composers for their annual sacred concert.

Indiana native Robert Hobby and his mentor Andrew Carter from England were the featured guests at the program. The Hickory Choral Society performed the Robert Hobby composition "The Gentle Shepherd" under the direction of Mr. Hobby. Andrew Carter then directed his composition "The Magnificat."

So, you ask . . . what’s so special about this?

In addition to the voices and the orchestra, both of these numbers had parts for a choir of children. My church choir director, Tammy Shook, brought together 40 of the finest young voices in the area to sing these magnificent compositions. The children were fabulous!

Carter’s "Magnificat" also had a part written for handbells. The Cambridge Ringers from St. Albans Episcopal Church were asked to participate. I’m proud to be a member of that group, and it was a thrill to stand on the stage with these two legends of sacred music as they led this superb group of musicians singing the praises of God.

The venue was First Baptist Church in Hickory. This sanctuary seats more than eleven hundred people, and it was a standing room only crowd.

I have had many wonderful experiences afforded to me through the gift of music, and this was one of the finest ever.

Yes, it was a thrill to play for the event. Yes, it was great to work under these two outstanding directors/composers. Yes, it was exciting to see such a large crowd on a Sunday afternoon gather to hear such a concert. However, the biggest thrill was to hear the voices of forty young well-trained children perform as well as the seasoned veterans in the concert. Our children are responsible for our musical future. It would appear that the musical future of our community is well under control.