December 03, 2007
Choir, choral union, orchestra to present concert
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University Carbondale Concert Choir and Choral Union join forces with the Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra for a concert featuring a mix of holiday and classical music on Dec. 6.
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at Shryock Auditorium on the University campus. Tickets are $7.50 for general admission. Students and senior citizens get in for $3.
The program includes Daniel Pinkham's "Christmas Cantata" and "Christmas Day" from Gustav Holst for the holiday music. A performance of Haydn's "Mass in B Flat" rounds out the evening. A double brass choir accompanies the singers on the cantata, with the full orchestra accompanying on the other selections.
The SIUC Concert Choir is nearly 40 college students, not necessarily all music majors, who auditioned for roles in the choir. The Choral Union has about 125 members, including about 75 non-University-student members representing communities all over Southern Illinois. Susan Davenport, assistant professor and director of the SIUC Choir and the Choral Union, said some of her community members in the choral union are high school students while some are adults whose student years are behind them.
The SIUC Choral Union provides a connection between the School of Music and the communities surrounding the University, said Davenport. "It provides a place for the interaction between the college student generation and older generations," she said.
SIUC Professor Ed Benyas conducts the Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra.