The First Presbyterian Church of Newton will continue its Sundays at Four concert series at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, with soprano vocalist Randye Jones presenting “Glad Tidings – A Christmas Concert” accompanied on the piano by Marlys Grimm. 

The concert will feature arias from “The Messiah,” Christmas spirituals and other traditional songs. The church is located at 220 N. 2nd Ave. E. The concert is free and open to the public. A reception with refreshments will follow in the church’s fellowship hall. 

Jones has bachelor of arts degree in music education from Bennett College, Greensboro, North Carolina, and her master of music degree in vocal performance from Florida State University, Tallahassee. She is currently a doctoral student in Vocal Literature at the University of Iowa, where she studies with Stephen Swanson. Jones has gained international recognition for her research of African American vocalists and composers and for her research project, The Art of the Negro Spiritual. Among her more recent accomplishments was her lecture-recital on interpretation of spiritual settings at the Phenomenon of Singing International Symposium VIII in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Jones serves on the library staff at Grinnell College.