Well-known composer to lead festival of choirs

HOWLAND -- The Howland United Methodist Church, 730 Howland Wilson Road N.E., will play host to the 14th Annual Warren Area United Methodist Festival of Choirs at 7 p.m. Sunday.
The event is free and open to the public. A free will offering will be taken to help defray expenses for the event.
Singers from 10 area churches will participate in the massed choir.
The combined choir will be directed by internationally known composer Don Besig.
Besig is currently director of music at Perinton Presbyterian Church in Fairport, New York. Besig, who taught public school music in western New York for more than 30 years, has had more than 400 of his original choral compositions and arrangements released by Shawnee Press Inc. and other leading publishers of school and church music. More than 15 million copies of his works have been sold, said Nancy Moore, director of music at Howland United Methodist Church.
Ron Miller, organist at Howland United Methodist Church, will accompany the choir.
The churches taking part in the event are, Bristolville United Methodist, Brookfield United Methodist, First United Methodist, Fowler United Methodist, Grace United Methodist, Howland United Methodist, Johnston Federated United Methodist, Newton Falls United Methodist and Tod Avenue United Methodist.