Southern Miss Choir and Orchestra to Herald the Holiday Season Dec. 4
Mon, 11/26/2012 - 05:44pm | By: Mike Lopinto
Sounds of the season will reverberate throughout the sanctuary at Main Street Baptist Church in Hattiesburg as The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra presents its Holiday Choral Spectacular at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4.
In addition to the Symphony Orchestra, the special evening of music will also feature the combined voices of Southern Miss choirs and local choral groups from Forrest County Agricultural, Sumrall, Stone County, Presbyterian Christian and Pascagoula High Schools.
“This is an event people look forward to all year,” said Greg Fuller, director of choral activities and conductor of the event. “It's a great way to kick off the season.”
The concert includes popular holiday favorites from “Joy to the World” to “O Holy Night.” Also on the program is a selection from the Messiah and Christmas Cantata by Daniel Pinkham, among other favorites. There will also be a bit of foreshadowing of the season finale in May as the musicians perform excerpts from Walton's Belshazzar's Feast.
“We wanted to give audiences a sample of that program that is also appropriate for Christmas,” said Fuller. “It is a stunning work that also has moments that will work beautifully within the context of this program.”
General admission tickets are $16 and a portion of the proceeds will benefit The Children's Center for Communication and Development at Southern Miss.
The holiday collaboration between the Symphony Orchestra and Children's Center has turned into an annual event that provides a rewarding payoff for both parties. Jennifer Hart, marketing and educational outreach coordinator with the Symphony Orchestra, said the Holiday Choral Spectacular would serve as the ideal Christmas gift.
“In this stressful economic time, I think it would be a great idea to give tickets to this event to friends and family so that those of us who have more than we need can help these children and their families,” Hart said.
The Children's Center, a United Way agency, is an early intervention program serving communicatively- and developmentally-delayed children from infancy through age 5. Direct services are provided to more than 70 children and their families from 18 counties in the state, while training university students in speech and hearing sciences and other allied health disciplines. School of Music students gain hands-on experience working with these children.
Tickets may be purchased in advance from the Children's Center by calling 601.266.5222 or the Southern Miss Ticket Office at 601.266.5418, or online at www.southernmisstickets.com. Tickets will also be available at door, but patrons are encouraged to get their tickets early as this event often sells out.