MANSFIELD, Pa. – The Mansfield University Music Department will present the annual holiday choral concerts in Steadman Theatre on December 7 at 7:30 pm and Dec. 8 at 2:30 pm. More than 130 singers and instrumentalists in the five university choirs will perform, including the Grace’s Notes, Steadman Singers, Festival Chorus, Chamber Singers, and the Concert Choir. Peggy Dettwiler, producer and director, has programmed music from historical classics to popular favorites that celebrate the seasons of Christmas and Hanukkah. And the audience will enjoy singing familiar holiday carols with organ accompaniment by Vincent Lawrence, distinguished Mansfield University alumnus from Pittsburgh.
The theme for the concerts is Hallelujahs Across the Lands. “Alleluia” or “Hallelujah” literally means “Praise to the Lord” and appears in numerous religious faiths from the Western and Eastern traditions. Many composers including Ludwig V. Beethoven, George F. Handel, and Randall Thompson, were inspired to incorporate this word in their choral compositions. The most famous being the great “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah, which will close the concert with singers encircling the auditorium.
Tickets will sell to adults for $10 and to seniors, students, and children for $5. Faculty, Staff, and Students with MU ID are admitted free of charge. Order your tickets online to reserve your seat by visiting Upcoming Events at music.mansfield.edu.