Concert Band and University Choir to Present Winter Concert at ESU

East Stroudsburg University’s Concert Band and University Choir will present a joint Winter Concert filled with seasonal favorites Sunday, December 8 at 3:30 p.m. in Cecilia S. Cohen Recital Hall of the university’s Fine & Performing Arts Center, Normal and Marguerite streets, East Stroudsburg.

“This is truly a ‘winter’ concert since it highlights the season as well as two of the holidays associated with it,” said Brian Hodge, director of Warrior Bands, who will be directing both musical groups for the concert.

“The concert opens with Bells, a piece for full wind ensemble by contemporary composer Ian McDougall,” Hodge said. “The composition plays on the theme of joyous cacophony created by the ringing of bells in celebration.”

The University Choir will be featured in Christmas Processional a collection of traditional holiday carols. Beginning with the Huron Carol in flute, the choir joins in with wordless arrangements of Carol of the Bells, The Coventry Carol, Pat-a-pan, and O Come Emmanuel.

Mary Sat a-Rockin, a modern piece by noted composer Greg Gilpin, director of educational choral publications for Shawnee Press, also features the University Choir. “This original composition presents an a cappella spiritual,” Hodge explained.

“Beginning with men singing the ostinato bass, the work develops as something of a rondo, presenting contrasting sections between the repeating choruses,” Hodge said. Highly energetic, the work concludes with bass soloist Jevon Mitchell, a sophomore from Philadelphia, Pa. majoring in Spanish, singing a rising descant over the continuing choir.

The Concert Band will be featured on The Eighth Candle – Prayer and Dance for Hanukkah by Lehigh Valley composer Steve Reisteter. “Being Roman Catholic I didn’t grow up singing Hanukkah songs or celebrating the holiday, but I’m familiar with Jewish music from playing clarinet and tarogato with Klezmer groups,” Reisteter said. “I tried to make my material in The Eighth Candle sound as if it could be Hebraic, but they’re all composed by me.”

The two ensembles will combine on several selections including Christmas on Broadway, a sampling of Christmas-themed songs from several musical theatre classics. The concert also includes seasonal favorites like Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson.

The concert, presented by the department of theatre, is open to the public at no cost. For more information, email esuarts@esu.edu.

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