Wells School of Music at West Chester University will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its annual Holiday Program with a concert on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 3 p.m. in the 1,200-seat Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall in the Philips Memorial Building, 700 S. High St., West Chester. Associate professor and associate director of choral activities Ryan Kelly will direct the program. Kelly noted that this year also marks the university's sesquicentennial anniversary.
The Holiday Program began on Dec. 18, 1921, as the Christmas Carol Service. The members of the Senior Girls' and Junior Girls' Glee Clubs would sing choral and sacred music and process down the hall of first Old Main Chapel and then the Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall, holding lit candles and adorned in white gowns.
Participating in the concert will be many of the Wells School of Music's ensembles, including the WCU Symphony Orchestra, Criterions Jazz Ensemble, Men's Chorus, Women's Chorus, Cantari Donne, and Mastersingers.
The event will include a rendition of "O Holy Night" sung by the winner of the vocal honors competition, who is chosen by a faculty panel. The honor was traditionally awarded to the best female soloist but now spotlights either a male or female vocalist. This year's winning vocalist is Coatesville-based senior music education and vocal performance major Sydney Szwarc.
To honor the 100th anniversary, this year's program will also include a commissioned work by San Francisco composer David Conte of a festival setting of "Gloria" for choir, brass and organ. Sándor Kádár, the organist at First Presbyterian Church in West Chester, will accompany on the historic Skinner organ.
Additional selections will include Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride," Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Benedicite," selections from Bach's "Magnificat," and Ildebrando Pizzetti's "Sanctus."
General admission tickets may be purchased at http://www.wcupatix.com. Purchasing tickets in advance is strongly encouraged.
Limited parking is available across and along the street just outside the Philips Memorial Building. Parking is also available in West Chester's M Lot, just a short walk south.
When indoors, all faculty, staff, students and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth. Face masks are optional when attendees are outdoors. Before attending the performance, people are advised to check for any updates to the mask and COVID-19 safety measures by visiting http://www.wcupa.edu/healthNotices/.
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