at ‘Sounds of the Season’

By JAINE TREADWELL

Features Editor

More than 200 performers will join together to ring in the holiday season when Troy State University presents the "Sounds of the Season" holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Claudia Crosby Theater on the TSU campus.

The concert will feature 11 groups including the Troy Children’s Chorus which will give its premier performance.

The Troy Children’s Chorus is a 15-member choir of elementary school students organized and directed by the TSU School of Music.

"The children’s chorus was organized this fall in an effort to reach out to the children in our community and give them an opportunity to perform, to learn about music and to interact with the university," said Dr. Terre Johnson, director of choral music.

The chorus is made up of fourth, fifth and sixth grade students from the Troy City and Pike County school systems and home-schooled students.

Johnson said the members of the children’s chorus are excited about their first performance and are looking forward to being a part of the holiday concert.

"The Troy Children’s Chorus will perform two selections," Johnson said. "Their first selection will be an Italian Christmas carol, ‘Dormi, Dormi,’ and the other will be ‘Born for Us This Christmas Night.’ One member of the chorus, Daniel Martin, will perform a solo, ‘The Little Drummer Boy.’"

Johnson said the children’s chorus started from scratch in the fall, but, thanks to the excellent teaching the children have received at Troy Elementary School, they have progressed much quicker, musically, than had been anticipated.

"The members of the children’s chorus are an exceptionally bright and talented group of young musicians," Johnson said. "The children’s chorus will be a delightful addition to the concert."

The "Sounds of the Season" concert will include a mixture of traditional sacred and secular Christmas music ranging from familiar pieces such as "O Holy Night’ and "The Nutcracker’s "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" to lesser-known works like the Nigerian carol, "Betelehemu," which received raves from the audience last year.

The program will also feature original arrangements by Robert W. Smith, TSU’s director of bands.

Johnson said there will be a great deal of difference between last year’s holiday concert and the one Thursday night.

"This year the concert will be held in the Claudia Crosby Theater and, with the lighting, the set and the decorations, it will be a beautiful, aesthetic experience," Johnson said. "The theater department will also play a large role in the concert. There will be several readers who will add special meaning to the program. We invite everyone to join us as we ring in the holiday season."

All seats for the performance are reserved. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at the Adams University Center box office. Tickets may also be reserved by calling the box office at 670-3293. Reserved tickets will be held until 7:15 p.m. Thursday, then they will be available to non-ticket holders.

Johnson said "The Sounds of the Season" concert is a must-see event and he encourages everyone to get tickets in advance or come early to purchase tickets at the door.

The concert will be preceded by a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the Bibb Graves Quad. The ceremony, which is sponsored by the TSU Student Government Association, will begin at 7 p.m. The public is invited.