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On Friday night, the Sheila Jackson and Friends Christmas Concert at the Claudia Crosby Theater welcomed Christmas with songs, with music, with dancing and in the “wonderful spirit of community.”

“The Christmas concert brings together people of all ages and from all walks of life,” Jackson said. “Christmas is such a special time of year and the concert is special way to celebrate the season together.”

And, for Shelia and her ’friends,’ the annual Christmas concert is way a way to say “‘thank you’ to the Troy Arts Council for sponsoring the concert, “thank you” to Troy University for this great performance theater and a special “thank you” to all those who came to welcome Christmas together.

“And, I can never say thank enough to those friends who take time to be a part of the annual Christmas concert,” Jackson said.

The Claudia Crosby Theater was packed on Friday night and with people of all ages, including the bright-eyed youngsters from the Boys and Girls Club.

Latasha Howard. club CEO, said it would be difficult to put into words how much the boys and girls enjoyed the concert.

“They enjoyed it all,” Howard said. “They loved the singing, the music, the dancing, everything about it. They loved just being there in that grand theater.”

Not only did the boys and girls enjoy the Christmas concert, they also left the theater wanting to sing and play the guitar themselves.

“They were so excited that we are taking a poll to decide what lessons we could best offer at the club,” Howard said. “It’s encouraging to see the boys and girls so excited about the concert and about the possibility of playing music themselves.”

Jackson agreed.

“If the Sheila Jackson and Friends Christmas Concert brought enjoyment to others and, if just one young person was inspired to sing, dance or play an instrument, then, we were especially blessed by doing it.”