Christmas Concert - with Bob Chilcott
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Internationally renowned English composer Bob Chilcott is traveling to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to conduct his Christmas Oratorio, for chorus, soloists, and an instrumental ensemble featuring harp, flute, and brass.
Older generations know Mr. Chilcott from his years with “The King’s Singers” while audience members of all ages have likely heard pieces from his extensive choral catalogue.
Choirs from First Presbyterian Church, Canterbury Episcopal Chapel, and Grace Presbyterian Church will make up a chorus of almost 60 singers. They will be joined by eight vocal soloists including tenor Dr. Daniel Shirley from East Carolina University, Chicago based mezzo-soprano Sarah Ponder, and bass-baritone Dr. Paul Houghtaling, Director of Opera Theater at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
This setting of the Christmas story is from St. Luke’s and St. Matthew’s Gospels, and incorporates well-known Christmas texts by poets Percy Dearmer, Christina Rossetti, and Robert Herrick. Commissioned in 2019 for the Three Choirs Festival in Great Britain, the work includes the Magnificat (Mary’s Song) and the Nunc dimittis (The Song of Simeon) to honor the tradition of Evensong which is offered regularly by the commissioning cathedrals. The 60-minute oratorio is knitted together by congregational hymns, allowing all to participate.
The concert is free to the public, and is sponsored by the Shelley Jones Endowment and the Music Fund of First Presbyterian Church.
Older generations know Mr. Chilcott from his years with “The King’s Singers” while audience members of all ages have likely heard pieces from his extensive choral catalogue.
Choirs from First Presbyterian Church, Canterbury Episcopal Chapel, and Grace Presbyterian Church will make up a chorus of almost 60 singers. They will be joined by eight vocal soloists including tenor Dr. Daniel Shirley from East Carolina University, Chicago based mezzo-soprano Sarah Ponder, and bass-baritone Dr. Paul Houghtaling, Director of Opera Theater at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
This setting of the Christmas story is from St. Luke’s and St. Matthew’s Gospels, and incorporates well-known Christmas texts by poets Percy Dearmer, Christina Rossetti, and Robert Herrick. Commissioned in 2019 for the Three Choirs Festival in Great Britain, the work includes the Magnificat (Mary’s Song) and the Nunc dimittis (The Song of Simeon) to honor the tradition of Evensong which is offered regularly by the commissioning cathedrals. The 60-minute oratorio is knitted together by congregational hymns, allowing all to participate.
The concert is free to the public, and is sponsored by the Shelley Jones Endowment and the Music Fund of First Presbyterian Church.
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Where is it happening?
900 Greensboro Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States, Alabama 35401
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherFirst Presbyterian Church - Tuscaloosa
