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Concert inspires holiday spirit
By Kateri Wozny
Published:
Monday, December 9, 2002
Media Credit: Adam Johnson
The SCSU women�s choir is joined by the Chamber Orchestra as part of Sunday�s Holly Day Concert in Ritsche Auditorium.
It was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season as the SCSU Holly Day concert took place Sunday in Ritsche Auditorium.
Surrounding the stage were poinsettias donated by SCSU choir members and faculty. They were given to various hospitals and nursing homes.
The Concert Choir, directed by Dr. Michael Tamte-Horan and accompanied by Ann Oleksowicz on piano, was the first to perform for the evening as they sang acapella, reverting between Latin and English in, "The Seed of David," arranged by Lloyd Pfautsch, with the words:
A wonderful mystery.
From the seed of David.
According to the Prophets.
Savior without offense.
Following the song was "The Blessed Son of God," arranged from the Christmas cantata "Hodie," by Ralph Vaughn Williams. It was also sung acapella and described a personal prayer for mercy.
Next to take the stage was the Spiritoso Strings, directed by Pablo Mahave-Veglia. The group consisted of children and four young adults that played a fun-filled tune entitled, "Funny Fiddlin'," by Carol Nunez. Following the piece was the classic "Silent Night" arranged by Franz Gruber.
The third choir to sing was the Cantabile Girls' Choir, directed by Jane Oxton. "Sussex Carol," arranged by Paul Straut, is a traditional English Carol that described the angels bringing the Good News of the Lord's birth. Micah Barrett contributed by playing the oboe. "Come, Holy Child" arranged by SCSU professor Marcelyn Smale, was the second piece sung and Melissa Schanfield accompanied on flute.
The third song, "Shepherds Come A-Running" is a Polish Carol arranged by David Stocker. Kim Sakry accompanied with the bassoon and Melissa Schanfield and Sim Yuen Ng played the flutes.
Next, the Women's Choir filled the stage as well as the aisles as they began to sing acapella "Magnificat," arranged by Christopher Brown and directed by Mary Jo Bot.
The women all came to the stage for the second song, "Water Under Snow is Weary." Alison Swoboda accompanied on the flute as well as the Philharmonic Orchestra Strings and Susan Hill on piano.
The women's voices for "Water Under Snow is Weary" filled the room as they sang about a calm, snowy day.
The final song they sang to ring in the new year was "A New Year's Carol" from The Circling Year by Christopher Brown.
The Concert Choir once again took the stage as they began to sing "Zadok the Priest (Coronation Anthem III)" arranged by George Frideric Handel.
Under the direction of Tamte-Horan, the choir sang jovially and fiercely as violins, a viola, a cello, a bass, oboes, trumpets, a timpani and a harpsichord accompanied the singers. "Zadok the Priest" was a biblical character who visited the baby Jesus when he was born.
"The Snow, Op. 26, No. 1," arranged by Edward Elgar, was sung by the girls only in the Concert Choir as Marion Judish and Sarah Dahl played violins and Oleksowicz played piano.
The group came together in the end as they sang acapella "Sing We Now of Christmas," a French Carol arranged by Fred Prentice.
After the Concert Choir cleared the stage, the Philharmonic Orchestra, directed by Mahave-Vegelia along with Judish on violin, played "Winter Concerto" with the Allegro non molto, Largo and Allegro to soothe the mood.
The combined choirs and the orchestra came together on stage in the end to sing, "This Christmastide (Jessye's Carol)" arranged by Donald Fraser and Jane McCulloch, as one voice.
To fill the audience with the Christmas spirit, the choirs and faculty invited them to sing-alongs of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" "The First Noel" and "O Come, All Ye Faithful."
Music followed in the lobby after the show by the SCSU Mallet Ensemble, under the direction of Terry Vermillion.
"I liked the fact that the orchestra and all the choirs came together to perform the one piece ("This Christmastide") in the end," said sophomore Carly Beal, Women's Choir member.
