Sing the Holidays, from Vivaldi to Puente

November 29, 2006

Students rehearsing the Holiday Concert

This year's Holiday Concert is slated to be another rousing celebration of student talent. More than 250 students will perform selections ranging from classical and sacred music to jazz and folk songs. The evening will end with an audience sing-along of holiday favorites, including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Silver Bells and Frosty the Snowman.   

"The Holiday Concert is the culmination of the fall term's musical work done by all major ensembles on campus," explains Ryan Turner, concert series manager and instructor in music. "The energy and enthusiasm is high."

The West African Drum Ensemble will perform Fanga Alafia Ase’ Ase’, a traditional selection of welcome and praise from Liberia, West Africa; the Concert Band will perform Simple Gifts, four Shaker songs; the Women’s Chorus will perform lullabies from Central and South America, and England; the Percussion Ensemble will perform a selection, “Four on the Floor,” by composer Jeffrey Peyton; Symphonia will perform an English folk song suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams; the Stage Band will perform jazz selections by Tito Puente and Mercer Ellington; the Concert Choir will perform selections of sacred music by Arvo Pärt, Javier Busto, John Gardner and Andrejs Jansons; the Chamber Orchestra will offer their rendition of Mozart’s Overture to the Magic Flute; the Glee Club will perform Gloria in D, RV 589, by Vivaldi; and the Symphony Orchestra will perform Suite No. 1 from “The Nutcracker,” by Tchaikovsky.

"The Holiday Concert brings us the opportunity to come together as a community and celebrate the warmth of the season through music," says Rohan Smith, chair of the music department. "Through music of many traditions and styles, we can enjoy good cheer and warm bonds of friendship, and hope for a better world, as the year draws to a close. For this year’s Holiday Concert, close to a third of the student body comes together. Each ensemble has worked patiently on the varied technical and musical challenges of the music to present a combined accomplishment of the group's members."

For Cayla, an upper who performs in the chamber and symphony orchestras, this year's Holiday Concert is special. "We're mixing the old and the new, from Tchaikovsky to contemporary Christmas favorites," she explains. "The West African Drum Ensemble is scheduled to open for us, so that will be fun and unexpected too! It's great to have so many people involved." 

Join the students as they celebrate the holidays, Friday December 1 at 7 p.m. in Thompson Gymnasium, located on the corner of Court and Gilman Streets in Exeter. The concert is free and open to the public.

Interested in learning more?
Read the press release about the concert…
Find directions to campus…
Read about Exeter's music department offerings…