The Lunenburg County Chamber of Commerce is seeking members to serve on committees for its upcoming talent show and Christmas concert.

Chamber President Mel Payne explained during the organization’s recent luncheon meeting at Mildred’s Meals in Kenbridge that they are just planning committees and are not expected to meet more than several times or have any responsibility at the event.

“We need people to come up with ideas … and make them work as best we can do,” he said. “The more people we get, the more ideas with can mesh together and get started.”

In the next school year, the chamber will promote a talent show that will involve all of the schools in the county. No date has been set yet. Payne has said he imagines “it will draw a big enough crowd that Central High School is the only place big enough to handle it.“

If successful, Payne said he envisions approaching other area school systems and possibly getting a competition between the systems.

The committee will have to decide things like what is talent, should there be a limit on the number of people in groups, should bands be allowed, how to promote the events, how much should go toward prizes, who gets the proceeds after the event and how should the show be promoted.

Payne maintains that word of mouth will take care of most of the promotion of the talent show.

“Those kids are going to have moms and dads and aunts and uncles and friends down the street,” he said.

School system spokeswoman Meripage Spencer will chair the talent show and will serve as the go-between person for the chamber and the school personnel who will do the auditions, Payne said.

“She needs people to help her,” Payne said.

Meanwhile, the chamber also hopes to create a 150-person choir made up of representatives from the county’s various churches to put on a Christmas concert.

Liz Hamlett, Nancy Pennington and Reginald Davis will direct, write and produce the concert. Payne noted of the three, “If they can’t put it together, nobody can. They are three of the most talented people musically we have in the county.”

Just when the performance will take place will be decided later with the intention of avoiding competing with other local holiday events.

The committee working with the concert will be headed by Nancy Snead and will have to decide whether there will be a charge at the concert or if it will be free with donations accepted, and what any proceeds would go toward.

The performance will be at Central High School, with rehearsals held in the Kenbridge Community Center. Payne said he capped the number of performers at 150 because that is about the maximum number of people the stage can support.

The chamber will advertise for singers and provide sheet music for them, Payne said.

Payne said that the concert, like the talent show, will largely advertise itself, with each performer attracting two or three people.

“That’s over 1,000 people,” he said. “With all of those people that could be huge.”

Originally, the plan was to approach every church in the county, but Hamlett suggested that participation be opened to anybody in the county who wants to sing, without audition.

“Like she said, ‘The Bible says make a joyous noise.’ It doesn’t say make a beautiful noise,” Payne said. “She has no question in her mind we can’t (end) up with 150 singers.”