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November 13 , 2006
Emory offers new and old musical traditions for the Winter holiday arts Season

BY nancy condon

The musical holiday season at Emory gets off to an early start this year, with a free performance by the Early Music Ensemble with Jody Miller, conducting. The concert, “Early Advent and Christmas,” takes place at Emory’s Schwartz Center on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 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 concerts scheduled this year are long-time Emory and Atlanta holiday traditions. “Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols,” which has been performed in Atlanta since 1925 and at Emory since 1936, will be Friday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. in Glenn Memorial Auditorium.

Traditional favorites fill the program, such as the opening candlelight procession of the choir singing “Once in Royal David’s City,” the closing singing of “Silent Night,” and readings by special guests from the community. This year, the 200-voice Emory University Chorus and the 60-voice Emory Concert Choir will be joined by an eight-piece brass ensemble, two percussionists and University organist Timothy Albrecht. The concert 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 to a Christmas spiritual. Tickets are $15. Discount category member tickets are $12.

On Sunday, Dec. 10 at 4 p.m. in the Carlos Museum’s reception hall, the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta presents the 12th “Annual Holiday Concert and Sing-Along,” with a new, jazzy twist. This year the concert features 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. Tickets are $4 to the general public. Museum members, at family-level and above, receive four free tickets.

On Saturday and Sunday Dec. 16–17 at 8 p.m., James Flannery will direct and host the 14th annual performance of the “Atlanta Celtic Christmas Concert” 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 are $25. Discount category member tickets are $20. Tickets for students and children are $10.

Wrapping up the holiday season is the Vega String Quartet with their Chinese New Year Celebration in the reception hall of the Carlos Museum on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. 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. Tickets are $4 for the general public. Museum members, at family-level and above, receive four free tickets.

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

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