By Monty Siekerman
From Ada Icon - For the fourth year, the local community will celebrate the 4th of July with a free Patriotic Pops Concert by the Lima Symphony Orchestra beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday in Ada.

Kirsten Osbun-Manley will once again be featured soloist and, for the first time, the Noteworthy Community Choir of Ada will perform.

The rousing event of patriotic music will be held on the mall between McIntosh Center and Presser Hall. In case of Inclement weather, the program will take place in the ONU Field House. In any case, attendees are encouraged to arrive early and bring a lawn chair (and beverage, because the temp is expected to be warm), and, if you wish, picnic foods or snacks.

The Lima Symphony will play patriotic music, movie musical selections, popular tunes, and a tribute to those who served in the armed forces. “The National Anthem,” “Armed Forces Medley,” and selections from “South Pacific” will be among the songs performed, concluding with Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” The Ada VFW Post color guard will present the colors.

Featured soloist, for the fourth year, is Kirsten Osbun-Manley, long-time ONU resident artist in music and musical theatre program director. Her Broadway-type voice is perfect for such an occasion. Noteworthy Community Choir, under the direction of Vicki Mills, ONU adjunct music instructor, will join the symphony this year.

Noteworthy Community Choir performs

Two choirs, Voices and Expressions, will combine to present songs such as I Got Rhythm, How Far I'll Go and God Bless the USA. 

Noteworthy began its opening season in April of this year and will begin auditioning in August for the 2018-2019 season.  Expressions is an inter-generational choir of singers ranging in age from 13 to 55+, and Voices is a children's choir for 4th - 8th graders. 

New in the fall will be Sounds, a preparatory choir for 2nd - 5th graders. Information can be found at www.noteworthycc.org, or contact NCC to schedule an audition: [email protected] - or Vicki Mills at 419-679-8259. 

Charter members of the Noteworthy Community Choir are:
• Ada: Lolly Cooney, Ken Mills, Rachel Temple, Olivia Thomas,
• Alger: Brenna Dyer, Melanie Dyer
• Bluffton: Cindy Bandish
• Findlay: Glen Thompson
• Jenera: Hanna Rausch, Tanner Rausch
• Kenton: Marilyn Dulin, Kirk Shepherd
• Lima: Madisson Campbell, Kitty Hanz, Alexa Heffner, William Mears, Catherine Myers, Josiah Osagie, Mary Schoenhofer, Olivia Smith, Ja’Irus Wash,
• St. Marys: Naomi Bernholt (accompanist, ONU sophomore piano major).