Choirs, brass and organ

The Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir is gearing up for their annual Christmas concerts featuring the Washington Symphonic Brass Quintet from Washington, D.C. – a third time for the amazing players to come to Harrisonburg to perform with the SVCC.

Concert dates are 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 in Lehman Auditorium at EMU. Tickets are expected to sell out for both performances.

Having collaborated twice before with Phil Snedecor and the Washington Symphonic Brass Quintet, choirs and audiences know what to expect from this ensemble – thrilling, note-perfect brass music as well as stellar musicianship. The members are all professional performers and play with ensembles including symphonies and military bands in the metropolitan area. The WSB came in 2003 and 2006 and look forward to their third time in the Valley and working with organist John W. Fast.

“It’s always a thrill working with Julia and the SVCC,” said Snedecor. “The standard Julia has set for the kids is inspiring and always makes this an exciting event for us. I can’t tell you how many great comments we receive every year about the two CDs we’ve made together. We can’t wait for the third!” (The SVCC produced “The Angel Choir and the Trumpeter” in 2004 and “Christmas Joy” in 2007.)

About the choir

The three performing choirs – Concert, Treble, and Preparatory – will perform separately as well as together at the Christmas concerts and will also have a chance to work with the trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba (and percussionist) that make up the group. Favorite choral/brass selections will include Carol of the Dance, which Phil Snedecor arranged for our concert in 2006. Christmas sing-alongs and hymns are also part of the program.

Other choral favorites performed by the Concert Choir will include Bob Chilcott’s Midwinter, Britten’s This Little Babe from A Ceremony of Carols, and The Angel Choir and the Trumpeter. The Treble and Preparatory choirs will sing Deck The Halls! and Sans Day Carol as well as other Christmas favorites.

Ticket information

Concert dates are Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. All seating is reserved and tickets may be purchased through the EMU box office at (540) 432-4582 or online at www.emu.edu/boxoffice. Presale tickets in a special reserved section are $20, regular tickets for adults $15, students & seniors (65 and older) $12, children 12 and under $7. Tickets at the door are $2 more/ticket.

The Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir spring concerts, featuring all three performing choirs and guest performers, will be held 5 p.m. Saturday, Mar. 28 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Mar. 29, 3 p.m. at Harrisonburg High School.

New this year is the spring finale dinner following the Saturday concert. The dinner will begin at 6:45 pm. and will be catered by Hank’s Smokehouse, with a live auction following.

A collection of SVCC related items and theme gift baskets will also be available through a silent auction before the concert. Dinner/auction tickets are $50 and must be reserved by Wednesday, Mar. 18, through the SVCC office at 540-432-4667.

Concert tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students and $7 children 12 and younger. All seats are general admission, and doors will open 30 minutes before the concert. Tickets may be purchased by calling Yvette Peake at 540-432-4667 and will also be available at the door.

The Concert Choir will be presenting music they performed at the Organization of American Kodaly Educators national conference in Washington, D.C., on Mar. 14 and with the Taiwanese Glorystar Children’s Chorus of Maryland.

Selections will include Bach’s “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten,” the Finnish folk song “Who Can Sail,” the indigenous work songs from the Brazilian rainforest “Tres Cantos,” the jazz arrangement of “My Favorite Things” featuring 11-year-old Sophie Wellington, and the gospel song, “Praise His Holy Name.” Andrew Richardson and SVCC member Dorrall Price will accompany the choir on percussion, with violinist Joan Griffing and bass player Lew Morrison assisting.

The Treble Choir will sing a Renaissance song, “The Cricket” (El Grillo) with soloists in addition to “Gloria Tibi” by Leonard Bernstein. “Dance of the Willow,” a new composition will be featured. The Preparatory Choir will join the intermediate Treble Choir in singing “Dakota Dances” with dances by the children. “The Swing” and “Where Go the Boats” with text by Robert Louis Stevenson and music by Paul Bouman, friend of the SVCC, will also be performed.

The Preparatory Choir, directed by Joy Anderson, will sing “Boots and Saddles” and the Bach/Hopson arrangement of “All the Earth Sing Forth.” They will also sing the Hebrew round arrangement, “Lo Yissa Goy.”

All three choirs will join together for a final selection, “Old Dan Tucker,” featuring Bill Wellington, folk musician, on the banjo.

The Spring Finale Dinner and Auction, created to help provide for the financial needs of the SVCC, is new this year. The live auction includes two delightful travel packages: an Alaskan cruise tour (minimum bid of $4,500 for two people–airfare not included), and a trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica for a week’s stay in a private villa (5 bedrooms) with butler and chef. Minimum bid is $6,000, or $1,500 per couple (airfare not included).

The spring finale dinner menu will feature grilled London broil, boneless chicken breast, herbed new potatoes, green beans, mixed green salad, homemade bread, fresh fruit cobbler or warm fudgy brownie with ice cream. A tentative kids’ menu for ages 8-12 is chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, carrot sticks, brownies and drink.

For more information, contact Judy Leaman, manager, at 432-4650 or www.emu.edu/svcc/gala