Saturday, December 21, 7pm, First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Rd.

On the darkest day of the year when daylight will be at its lowest ebb, join Columbus musician Bill Cohen for an uplifting concert that looks ahead to the new year, its emerging sunlight, and its potential for joy and progress.

Bill will sing popular songs from the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond that represent our hopes, dreams, and prayers for 2025. They’ll be songs that symbolize positive values of peace, community, gratitude, love, courage, justice, friendship, activism, and struggle. These are songs linked to a wide variety of folks — Mama Cass, Pete Seeger, the Byrds, the Beatles, James Taylor, Carol King, Bob Dylan, Louis Armstrong, and Judy Garland.

Fellow musicians Joanne Blum and Joe Lambert will add beautiful vocal harmonies, and Ann Fisher will add soothing counterpoints with her flute.

The reflective evening will also feature wise sayings about darkness and light. And the concert in the darkened sanctuary will be bathed in the glow of dozens of candles. Expect a couple of fun surprises, too.

Admission is free. During the program, we’ll simply “pass the hat.” The musicians and crew will be splitting the proceeds with a worthy cause: Columbus Food Rescue, a group that takes leftover food from restaurants and events and transports it to organizations that feed the hungry. That way, the food doesn’t go to waste and people are fed.

Hosted by Bill Cohen Sings.