News Release

Back to Newsroom

---

Nov. 1, 2006

Contacts: Arts at Emory, Nancy Condon, 404-727-1687
NOTE: Hi-res photos available upon request.

New and Old Musical Traditions for the Winter Holiday Season

The musical winter holiday season at Emory gets off to an early start this year, with a free performance by the Early Music Ensemble (Jody Miller,conductor). The concert, “Early Advent and Christmas,” takes place at Emory’s Schwartz Center (Thursday, Nov. 16, 8 p.m.). Performing Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music for the Advent and Christmas season, the players use replicas of historical instruments in a performance that includes polychoral works of the Venetian tradition.

Three of the concerts are long-time Emory and Atlanta holiday traditions. On Friday, Dec. 8 (8 p.m.), and Saturday, Dec. 9 (5 and 8 p.m.), is the “Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols,” which has been performed in Atlanta since 1925 and at Emory, in the Glenn Memorial Church (1652 N. Decatur Rd.), since 1936. The festival is filled with traditions such as the opening candlelight procession of the choir singing "Once in Royal David’s City" and the closing singing of "Silent Night," as well as readings by special guests from the community. This year, the 200-plus-voice Emory University Chorus and the 60-voice Emory Concert Choir will be joined by an eight-piece brass ensemble and two percussionists, along with University Organist Timothy Albrecht. The program includes a mix of styles, ranging from John Rutter’s "Gloria” to the traditional carols "Once in Royal David's City" and "O Come, All Ye Faithful" to works by Monteverdi and Tchesnekov, and a Christmas spiritual. (Tickets: $15, discount category members $12.)

On Sunday, Dec. 10 (4 p.m.) in the Carlos Museum’s reception hall, the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta (ECMSA) presents the twelfth “Annual Holiday Concert and Sing-Along,” with a new, jazzy twist. This year the concert features the elegant stylings of Gary Motley, jazz pianist, with Veronica Tate singing some holiday favorites including “Christmas Time is Here” from “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Richard Prior, Emory’s director of orchestral studies, will also be on hand for a dramatic reading of "The Night Before Christmas" with improvised jazz accompaniment by Gary Motley. An audience sing-along closes the program, followed by holiday treats for young listeners. (Ticket: $4; Museum members, family-level and above, receive four free tickets.)

On Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 16-17 (8 p.m.) is the fourteenth annual performance of the “Atlanta Celtic Christmas Concert” with James Flannery, director and host, in Emory’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. One of Atlanta's most popular holiday traditions, this concert celebrates Christmas with the mystical beauty and heartfelt warmth of Celtic and Appalachian music, dance, poetry, song and story. (Tickets: $25; discount category members $20; students and children $10.)

Wrapping up the winter musical season is the Vega String Quartet with their Chinese New Year Celebration in the reception hall of the Carlos Museum (Sunday, Feb. 18, 4 p.m.). The Vega, Emory’s first-ever resident quartet, will perform arrangements of Chinese folk songs, including “Butterfly,” “Leaving for Xikou,” and “Han Tian Lei,” as well as Western pieces, including a selection from M. Ravel’s String Quartet in F major. (Ticket: $4; Museum members, family-level and above, receive four free tickets.)

The number for tickets and information is 404-727-5050; the website is www.arts.emory.edu.

###

---

Back to top