December 3, 2008

School of Music offering three great holiday events

By Shannon Littlejohn

Dropped into December with no holiday spirit? Let music inspire you.

Lynne Davis

Lynne Davis

This month, 鈥淲ednesdays in Wiedemann鈥� will feature Lynne Davis on the great Marcussen organ at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, in Wiedemann Recital Hall. It鈥檚 a free, half-hour concert.

Davis will start the recital with three French Christmas carols: XII. Noel Suisse by Louis-Claude Daquin; Noel de Saintonge by Jean-Francois Dandrieu; and X. Noel by Daquin.

Then she鈥檒l perform two German Christmas chorales in which the chorale tune is performed in the pedal: Vom Himmel hoch da komm鈥� ich her (From Heaven above to Earth I come) by Johann Pachelbel; and the Advent chorale Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659 (Come now, Saviour of the Heathen) by J.S. Bach.

She鈥檒l end the recital with Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 547- The Grand 鈥�9/8,鈥� also by Bach.

If the great Marcussen organ isn鈥檛 enough to inspire and cheer you, perhaps the WSU Symphony Holiday Pops Concert will help.

Don Beggs

Don Beggs

Set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, in Miller Concert Hall, the symphony concert will provide an evening of holiday favorites narrated by WSU President Don Beggs and featuring Deborah Baxter, mezzo-soprano, as faculty guest performer.

Holiday Pops tunes will include 鈥淪leigh Ride,鈥� 鈥淭he Night Before Christmas,鈥� 鈥淣oel鈥� and the Nutcracker Suite. Tickets are $6 with discounts available through the College of Fine Arts Box Office, 978-3233.

Finally, the 46th Annual Candlelight Concert will bring together the voices of WSU鈥檚 many choirs and chorales over two joyous days.

The concert will be presented at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, and again at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8, in Wiedemann Recital Hall.

Featuring the WSU A Cappella Choir, Women鈥檚 Choir, Chamber Singers and Madrigal Singers, the concert also will showcase the Marcussen organ with seasonal music.

Students from the WSU brass, string and percussion studios will be featured in several selections with the choirs. The traditional 鈥淧ersonent Hodie鈥� will open the concert in surround sound with voices, brass and percussion in what has become a true holiday tradition.

From intimate settings of the delightful Alfred Burt carols to traditional seasonal music such as 鈥淐arol of the Bells鈥� and 鈥淪ilent Night鈥� to modern settings of Christmas songs from around the globe, this program is designed to get every listener into the holiday spirit.

Tickets are $6 with discounts available. For information, contact the Fine Arts Box Office, 978-3233.