Concerts bring together more than 180 musicians, vocalists on Dec. 2, 3
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| The URI Jazz Big Band members get into the spirit of the season with their holiday concert in 2022. (URI Photo/Marian Goldsmith) |
If
you like your holidays big and bold, you’ll want to check out the University of
Rhode Island Music Department’s Holiday Extravaganza.
For two concerts, the extravaganza will bring together six of the University’s main music ensembles—more than 180 musicians and vocalists, all on one stage—for a show featuring a collection of traditional holiday standards (and some not so traditional).
The concerts are Saturday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 3,
at 3 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, 105 Upper College Road,
Kingston. Tickets—$25 for adults and $15 for students and seniors—can be
purchased through Eventbrite.
The
extravaganza is the brainchild of David Gilliland, associate teaching professor
of collaborative piano at URI, who oversaw a similar holiday show when he was
at Davidson College. The format is new to URI, which has traditionally hosted
holiday shows by individual ensembles or smaller collaborations.
“I think everyone loves holiday music,” said Gilliland, who is organizing the event. “It’s an easy sell—especially when you get numbers of this size together. I think it makes it that much more impressive. I always enjoy the spectacle of big holiday concerts, and hopefully, it’s something the community will take to.”
The
shows will feature three vocal ensembles—URI Concert Choir, University Chorus
and In The Pocket—along with the Jazz Big Band, Wind Ensemble and Symphony
Orchestra. Each will perform two selections on their own and come together for
a “carol-along” with the audience. Mike Maino, a long-time radio personality at
classical music station WCRI, will emcee the shows.
Gilliland
said the music will include a variety of traditional holiday songs ranging from
arrangements of well-known Christmas carols and Hanukkah standards, to
orchestral movie soundtracks and modern adaptations of jazz and pop tunes.
“The
goal was to create an inclusive holiday musical experience for our audience
that would showcase music across many different styles and genres,” Gilliland
said.
To
bring all the performers together, the concerts will use all three tiers of the
Concert Hall stage, from the jazz band in area directly in front of the main
stage to the vocal ensembles on risers at the back of the stage.
“It’s
all coming together. My biggest challenge left is to sit about 180 people on
the stage at the same time,” said Gilliland. “It’s going to be close quarters.”
The
vast majority of the department’s music majors and minors will participate in
the concert, some performing in multiple ensembles.
“I’m looking forward to the show,” said Liam Knott, a double major in music and math from Exeter, who will play trombone in three ensembles, wind ensemble, orchestra and jazz band.
“It will be an interesting challenge both logistically
for the department and personally for the musicians. …. Each ensemble has a
different playing style and bring its own challenges. While holiday music is
generally easier than our normal repertoires, it is widely known and means our
performances need to be as close to perfect as possible.”
Valentina
Gomez, a music therapy major from Woodlands, Texas, will be performing with
three vocal ensembles, including a combo that will perform in the lobby as
audience members leave. “I think it’s a really cool new idea and I’m excited to
see how it turns out,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the whole department
all together, kicking off the holiday spirit.”
Evelynne
Lepe, a major in voice performance from Northridge, California, echoes those
feelings. “I enjoy the idea of everyone being able to show off the music
department with the different ensembles,” said Lepe, who will play clarinet
with the wind ensemble and sing with the Concert Choir and University Chorus.
The
enthusiasm about bringing the entire department together for a signature event
extends throughout the department, Gilliland said. “We’re just beginning to
investigate the possibilities with this,” he added. “This might be something
that we’ll be doing on a regular basis.”
More
December shows
While
the Holiday Extravaganza will bring together most of the University’s main
ensembles on one stage, each will wrap up the fall semester with separate
shows. The concerts will reprise some of the music from the holiday show along
with other works. All shows are scheduled for the Fine Arts Center Concert
Hall. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.
The University Chorus and the
Symphony Orchestra will join forces on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 8
p.m.
The symphony, directed by Luis Viquez, will perform music by American composer Jennifer Higdon, whose “Soliloquy” for solo English horn and orchestra will feature URI instructor Jane Murray, a member of the Rhode Island Philharmonic.
The orchestra will also play Stephen Yarbrough’s “Alleluias for Orchestra” and
selections from the film “The Polar Express.” They will join the chorus for two
selections from British composer John Rutter’s “When Icicles Hang.”
The
chorus, which is directed by Elizabeth Woodhouse, will also celebrate the
holiday season with two acapella songs, the Hanukkah song “S’vivon” and the
traditional Spanish carol “Fum, Fum, Fum,” along with a second set that will
include the Beatles’ “Blackbird.”
On
Thursday, Dec. 7, the Jazz Big Band, under the direction of Emmett Goods, will present a
tribute to renowned tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, featuring URI jazz
saxophone teacher John McKenna. The concert will begin at 8 p.m.
On
Friday, Dec. 8, the In the Pocket jazz
choir, directed by Atla DeChamplain, will present an eclectic mix of standards
by such jazz legends as Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan and Freddie Hubbard. The
concert starts at 8 p.m.
On
Saturday, Dec. 9, the URI Concert Choir will
present works from across choral music history—from the Renaissance to present
day—dealing with such themes as the nature of time, love and power, war and
peace, and the holiday season. The concert starts as 7:30 p.m.
Choir director Mark Conley said the format is based on ribbon candy, with each piece connected not only to the works before and after it, but to the works two places before and after it.
“Audience members can interpret our concert in a
linear fashion or they can follow two different storylines simultaneously, as
if following the top loop and the bottom loop of the ribbon candy separately,”
he said.
On
Sunday, Dec. 10, the Wind Ensemble and Concert
Band, directed by Brian Cardany, will present concerts of
traditional repertoires for each band, starting at 3 p.m. The Wind Ensemble
will present works by major composers from three eras of wind band repertoire –
Percy Grainger (“Children’s March”), Alfred Reed (“Russian Christmas Music”)
and Frank Ticheli (“Blue Shades”). The Concert Band will perform a variety of
works from the past half century, including a tribute to popular band composer
Robert W. Smith, who died recently.
The
fall schedule wraps up that evening at 7 p.m. with the student composers concert.
About eight students from the composition studios of URI instructors Eliane
Aberdam and Zaccai Curtis, will present works, which will be performed by about
20 student musicians and vocalists. The concert is free.