GREENEVILLE – Rich and diverse voices will resound in the Marilyn duBrisk Theatre as the Tusculum University Community Chorus performs its annual Christmas concert on campus.
Kathy May conducts the Tusculum University Community Choir.
The Tusculum University Community Chorus rehearses on the stage in the Marilyn duBrisk Theatre of Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center.
The chorus will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, for a 12-song performance that will delight audiences with its variety. A couple of popular, traditional songs will be balanced by others that bring just as much happiness – but are performed less frequently – to create a well-rounded concert. As a bonus, the chorus will treat the audience to a couple of songs featuring Latin and Spanish.
Karen Miller is accompanying the chorus on piano throughout the concert.
“Our rehearsals have been strong, and we received additional energy when we performed at the Community Thanksgiving Service at Trinity United Methodist Church,” said Kathy May, the chorus’ director and conductor. “We are ready to go after months of preparation and look forward to generating even more enthusiasm for the Christmas season with the selections we will perform. The community will not want to miss this show.”
Here are the songs the chorus will perform:
- “Hallelujah” from “Mount of Olives” by Beethoven
- “As It Fell Upon a Night” by Katherine K. Davis
- “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing” by John Ferguson
- “Magnificat” by Charles Villiers Stanford
- “A La Nanita Nana” arranged by Norman Luboff
- “Still, Still, Still” arranged by Norman Luboff
- “Carol of the Bells” arranged by Peter Wilhousky
- “Deck the Halls” arranged by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw
- “O Mary, What a Baby Boy” by David Burks
- “Ave Maria Stella EG 150” by Edward Grieg
- “Night of Silence” with “Silent Night” by Daniel Kanto
- “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” arranged by Dan Forrest
“A La Nanita Nana” will feature Spanish singing, and the chorus will demonstrate its abilities with Latin in “Ave Maria Stella EG 150.” In “Night of Silence,” the audience will be invited to sing the first verse of “Silent Night” upon May’s cue.
Some of the male members of the chorus sing during a recent practice.
Some of the female members of the chorus sing during a recent practice.
When the chorus sings “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” Lena Carver will join Miller on piano for a duo. In addition, Sonya Solomon, a teacher at South Greene Middle School, and Riley Walters, an eighth grader in Greene County Schools, will play percussion instruments. Solomon will also play percussion on “O Mary, What a Baby Boy.”
“We are really excited about our finale because of the additional elements we have incorporated,” May said. “This will create a lovely extra dimension the audience will enjoy as they experience this plethora of talent on display. It’s an excellent way to end the concert.”
The chorus features about 60 members. Members sing soprano, alto, tenor and bass, but on some songs, the chorus further divides to have eight parts.
The Tusculum University Community Chorus holds a recent practice.
This will be the chorus’ first full performance since the Christmas concert in 2023. The spring concert was canceled in light of May’s cancer diagnosis, surgery and subsequent treatment. She is now in remission from Stage 4 high-grade cancer. She said her outlook for survival is looking better, but she will remain in treatment awhile longer.
“It’s been good for the chorus to be back singing as an ensemble,” May said. “Everybody came back this fall and has been faithful in their attendance at our practices. I hope all concert attendees feel a lot of joy and understand how much we love to sing together.”
The concert is free, but donations are welcome. The Marilyn duBrisk Theatre is located on the main floor of Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center.
Anyone with questions about the concert can contact Rouja Green, director of Tusculum’s Center for the Arts, at rgreen@tusculum.edu or 423-636-7300, extension 8326. More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.