Southern Utah University’s Department of Music presents “A Christmas Festival: Music for the Season,” featuring choral and instrumental selections performed by more than 100 SUU instrumental and vocal students. The concert will take place at Cedar City’s Heritage Center Theater on Friday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m.
“A Christmas Festival” will feature a diverse selection of music chosen, prepared, and directed by Dr. Steve Meredith, Jackie Jackson, Dr. Christian Bohnenstengel, Dr. Adam Lambert, and Dr. Xun Sun. Performing popular favorites as well as lesser known music will be SUU’s Piano Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Concert Choir, Opus Choir, and Women’s Choir.
The choral portion of the program features the Opus Chamber Choir performing a medley from Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols,” James Lord Pierpont’s “Jingle Bells” in an arrangement by Gordon Langford, John Henry Hopkins’ “We Three Kings” in an arrangement by Ian McDougal with orchestra accompaniment, and Jan Pietersweelinck’s “Hodie! Christus Natus Est.” SUU’s Concert Choir performs Franz Gruber’s “Stille Nacht” in an arrangement by Chip Davis, André Thomas’ “African Noel,” and the traditional French carol “Angels We Have Heard on High,” which will be performed with the Women’s Choir, Wind Symphony, and Symphony Orchestra. The Wind Symphony joins the Concert Choir for a rendition of the traditional work “A Christmas Festival” in an arrangement by LeRoy Anderson, and the SUU Symphony Orchestra collaborates with them for a performance of Ken Darby’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas” in an arrangement by Harry Simone. The Concert and Women’s Choirs perform together for an inspiring rendition Franz Biebl’s “Ave Maria.”
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for SUU alumni, and $5 for youth. SUU faculty, staff, and students are free with a valid I.D. card.Tickets are on sale in advance in person at SUU’s Centrum Arena Ticket Office or by phone at (435) 586-7872. They can be purchased anytime online at suu.edu/pva/arts. They can also be purchased at the door the evening of the concert. This performance is a CPVA Flex Pass event.
