The holiday season is in full swing, which can only mean one thing: it’s time for the Annual Holiday Concert. The concert will be taking place this Saturday at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Denver.
Having already filled the Lincoln Center to the brim with holiday cheer last Wednesday, the concert is moving on to Denver so that the many CSU alumni living there can easily share in the joy.
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The concert kicks off with a few songs from the faculty brass, like “O Come All Ye Faithful,” then moves into performances by a combination of choirs, orchestras and jazz combos.
The choirs and orchestra have prepared three songs from the classic Christmas movie, Home Alone, as well as a version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” that takes the audience on a trip through musical history.
“The first Home Alone film with Macauley Culkin is an iconic Christmas movie and the arrangements for the songs are very big and splashy, especially with the choirs,” Orchestra Director Wes Kenney said.
Kenney also explained why some of the songs represented in the “Musicological Journey Through the Twelve Days of Christmas” were chosen.
“Many of the songs kind of match up with their day, so seven swans is The Swan from Carnival of the Animals and nine ladies dancing is a Strauss Waltz,” Kenney said. “The piece is very cleverly done and put together.”
The plentiful genre shifts in this clever piece make it a bit of a challenge and one of choir member Sidney Dungan’s favorites to perform.
“All the style changes were fun and I also really liked working with the orchestra and hearing Wes Kenney’s feedback,” Dungan said.
Jazz students help add variety to the show by putting a fresh twist on some old classics. Dancers are also included with a performance of “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies” from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.
All these pieces come together to create a holiday show that hits on nearly every aspect of what is usually on the Christmas show wishlist.
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Kelly Fetchenhie, anthropology major, attended Wednesday’s concert to support her roommate, who happens to be in the choir.
“The show incorporated a really wide variety of performances,” Fetchenhier said. “You’ve got your brass, your jazz, your choir and orchestra, and it was all Christmas. So, it was really very festive and fun.”
Though the venue caters to alumni and others living in Denver, anyone looking for a little Christmas spirit is welcome to attend. Tickets are $7 for CSU students, $10 for CSU alumni, $1 for youth under 18 and $12 for the general public.
Collegian Entertainment Reporter Katie Salka can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com.