College Chorale and College-Community Chorus Are Featured Choral Groups
Wilmington College’s Music Department will present its annual Winter Holiday Concert featuring the College Chorale and College-Community Chorus Sunday (Dec. 6), at 7:30 p.m., in Hugh G. Heiland Theatre.
The event, which is free of charge, is dedicated to the memory of a man that was closely associated with this annual concert for some five decades. Robert J. Haskins, emeritus professor of music, died earlier this fall. He served on the music faculty from 1963 to 2009.
(PICTURED) Performing at the Spring Concert in May are College Chorale members: Kristin Savoy, Amanda Allen, Kelly Angevine, Jessica Bennett, Alena Moore and Caitlin Schafer.
The College Chorale, directed by Gina Beck, will open the concert with a mix of traditional and contemporary Christmas pieces, including “Carol of the Bells” by M. Leontovich and “Where Are You Christmas?” by James Horner, Will Jennings and Mariah Carey. Brandi James has a solo on the latter number.
Also on the program are renditions of “Ding-a-Ding-a-Ding” by Greg Gilpin and “Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song)” by Chris Eaton and Amy Grant, and featuring soloist Theresa Knopf. The Chorale’s final selection will be “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with additional lyrics and music by Mark Hall, Dale Oliver and Bernie Herms, and featuring soloists Knopf and James.
The College-Community Chorus’ program is titled “The Times of Christmas” and includes songs from both the northern and southern hemispheres. The group is directed by Elizabeth Haskins, assistant professor of music, and features piano accompanists James Wiederhold, Carly Pritchard and Judy Sargeant.
The Chorus will open with two Australian carols by William G. Walker, “Carol of the Birds” and “The Silver Stars Are in the Sky.” Next will be a Canadian piece, “The Huron Carol,” arranged by Mark Burrows, and Peter Stone’s arrangement of the French carol, “Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella” featuring a women’s vocal ensemble.
The Chorus will return to sing “Oh, How Beautiful the Sky,” a Swedish carol set by Paul J. Christiansen, and the perennial Irish favorite, The Wexford Carol,” arranged by Howard Helvey, and “African Noel,” arranged by Ken Berg and featuring soloists Lori Ann Scott, Terri Valentine and Andi Bell, along with flautist James Wiederhold and guest instrumentalists Chip Murdock and his African percussion ensemble.
