Choir Sings Dull

Park City Singers, led by Artistic Director Darla Cardwell, set out to transform Park City Community Church into a chapel of pretentious serenity for its December 12–13 'Songs of Light and Wonder' performances. The program promises a meandering mix of traditional carols, cultural oddities, and a jazzy number titled 'Hot Chocolate in My Stockings', all dressed in glossy step‑and‑repeat red. Cardwell’s approach to a non‑audiation choir is, of course, to press the crowd into a tableau of post‑modern humility beneath the church’s vaulted white. On the evening, well‑oiled guests—mostly their own recruiters—stroll in like it’s a charity gala, clutching program photocopies that glint more gold than actual musical merit. The mixture of clarinet, harp, and hand percussion barely masks the undercurrent of self‑congratulatory mirth. The underperforming skeptics, including Telly Award‑winning bassist LuAnn Landau, are relegated to the front row, their enthusiasm anemic under mid‑town lights. All told, this festive veneer is an exercise in obfuscation rather than artistry. Verdict: Send a check but stay home.