Community Christmas Cantatas set for December in Yamhill County
Published 5:00 am Monday, November 10, 2025
Newberg churches will host two of the stops on Dec. 7 and Dec. 22
Cantata [kuhn-tah-tuh]: noun – a choral composition, either sacred and resembling a short oratorio or secular, as a lyric drama set to music but not to be acted.
But the Community Christmas Cantata in Yamhill County means so much more than what a dictionary can define: It is a vital annual fundraising event benefiting the Yamhill Community Action Partnership food bank at a time of great food uncertainty locally and throughout the country.
“Christmas Changes Everything” is the theme of this year’s event, slated to begin Dec. 7 and continue through Dec. 22 at locations throughout the county. Free will offerings will be accepted at each stop of the event this year. The hope is to significantly add to the nearly $356,000 raised during the 2004 through 2024 cantata seasons, organizers said in a release.
In Newberg, the groups that perform in the one-hour cantata will make stops at 7 p.m. Dec. 11 at Church of the Nazarene, 23177 Old Yamhill Road, and at 3 p.m. Dec. 20 at Joyful Servant Lutheran Church, 1716 N. Villa Road.
Other performances are slated for 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at Amity Christian Church; 7 p.m. Dec. 12 at First Baptist Church in Dayton; 6 p.m. Dec. 14 at Seventh-day Adventist Church in McMinnville; 4 p.m. Dec. 21 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Yamhill; and 7 p.m. Dec. 22 at St. James Catholic Church in McMinnville.
All performances will be interpreted in American Sign Language for the hearing impaired, and livestreaming of the Dec. 20 event in Newberg is expected to be available on Joyful Servant Lutheran Church’s YouTube channel.
Organizers said the schedule could be impacted by inclement weather and suggested calling the respective churches after noon on the day of the event to confirm performances. Visit the choir’s website at CantataChoir.org for more information.
A long history of sacred performances
The choral cantata is in its 39th year in Yamhill County. This year’s performance — which blends narration with a collection of Christmas music in contemporary and traditional styles — was first arranged and orchestrated in 2020 by Mike Speck, a gospel minister and ordained minister from Tennessee.
“The upbeat and moving music is expected to appeal to most tastes and ages,” the release said.
Nearly 60 people will participate in the production, including a six-part, nondenominational choir made up of individuals of all ages. There will also be a youth chorus, American Sign Language choir, narrator and an orchestra with musicians on piano, synthesizer, percussion, guitar, electric bass, flute, clarinet and cello. The line-up includes several soloists, and participants are volunteers who contribute their own materials.
The choir and musical groups represent many faiths, organizers said, and are from at least 17 Oregon communities, five Oregon counties and three states.
Months of preparation
Since its inception in 1987, the groups have assembled annually in early October to begin preparing for the cantata.
Directing the choir for this series of performances is Lee Schrepel, a former choir leader at Lutheran churches in Newberg and McMinnville. Schrepel has led the group for the past 35 years.
“The public is enthusiastically invited and will be warmly welcomed,” the release said.
For more information, visit the choir’s website at CantataChoir.org, email cantata@gmail.com, or call 503-662-3926 or 503-939-1562.
