The Ben Salem Handbell Choir and contemporary worship team "Daybreak" will combine for a Christmas concert on Sunday, December 9 at 2:30 p.m.

"This is the first time that the bell choir will be performing in concert with Daybreak," said director Handbell Choir Shirley Kline. "We played with them for the first time in August, and it worked out very nicely. We had a good response and decided to offer a combined Christmas concert."The concert will include a "Christmas Around the World" segment, featuring handbell pieces of popular international holiday songs such as "Gesu Bambino" (Italy), "Good King Wenceslas" (Czech Republic), and "Two English Christmas Carols" (England). The Handbell Choir will also offer a number of songs with a bell theme, including "Jingle Bells," "Carol of the Bells," and "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."Daybreak's portion of the concert will feature upbeat, secular holiday songs, said Kline. Selections include "Baby, It's Cold Outside," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas."The Handbell Choir and Daybreak will combine for three pieces, including "Snoopy's Christmas" and "Silent Night." The audience will join Daybreak to sing several Christmas hymns.Kline noted that there is no charge for admission and that all are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served following the concert."We feel like this is our way of sharing our gift of music with the community," she said. "It's going to be a lot of fun. It's a nice way to ring in the Christmas season."Ben Salem

U.C.C. is located at 1965 Church Hill Road in Lehighton.