The Concert, Chamber and Collegiate Choirs sing age-old carols and chants, as well as modern expressions of joy, to celebrate a season of peace and goodwill.聽 The choirs are directed by Dr. Scott Allison, assistant professor of music. He is accompanied by Dr. Dylan Marney, associate professor of music.

Precautions taken for the COVID-19 pandemic prevent live performances on campus this year, but this year鈥檚 musical selections can be found on YouTube. The Collegiate Choir was divided into treble, bass and mixed choirs to honor social distancing and meet rehearsal safety guidelines.

The Collegiate Treble Choir explores an ancient English chant, brought to harmony in the 鈥�1514 Sarum Primer鈥� and set to tonalities of today in Dan Forrest鈥檚 arrangement of the 鈥淪ussex Carol.鈥澛� The choir then continues with scriptural words of hope expressed in 鈥淧salm 23鈥� in an arrangement by Randall Stroope. The Collegiate Bass Choir follows with a setting of Isaac Watts鈥� 鈥淐radle Hymn鈥� by contemporary Norwegian composer Kim Andr茅 Arnesen.

The treble and bass choirs also rehearsed as two mixed voice choirs for this Concert. Collegiate Mixed Voice Choir A reminds us of the joy of the season in Craig Courtney鈥檚 setting in English of the German carol 鈥淗ow Great Our Joy.鈥� Collegiate Mixed Voice Choir B seeks to 鈥渋llumine through sound鈥� as composer Morten Lauridsen describes his blend of 13th century apocryphal accounts of animals at the cr猫che with references to the liturgical Gregorian Christmas matins chant.

Expressing Christmas joy takes on many guises, and the Chamber Choir presents one of the most rhythmically delightful in Robert Shaw and Alice Parker鈥檚 arrangement of the Catalan carol 鈥淔um, Fum, Fum.鈥� Dating from the 16th century, this carol recalls a widespread European tradition of processing to the church on Christmas Eve and feasting after Mass.

English cathedral composer Philip W.J. Stopford鈥檚 setting of the Coventry Carol, 鈥淟ully, Lulla, Lullay,鈥� honors another reimagining of the night of the cr猫che from the 14th century when medieval guild plays added to the scriptural account episodes that resonated with their own lives. The solo quartet is soprano Brianna Holder, a senior music education major from Moberly, Mo.; alto Jay Bettis, a junior English major from Hermann, Mo.; tenor Isaac Reinwald, a freshman history education major from Hannibal, Mo.; and baritone Samuel Morgan, a freshman music technology major from Columbia, Ill.

The Chamber Choir brings a jazz standard to Russ Robinson鈥檚 arrangement of 鈥淗ave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.鈥� Written in 1943 in the dark days of World War II for the movie 鈥淢eet Me in St. Louis,鈥� the song reminds us that someday 鈥渨e all will be together, if the fates allow鈥� and offers with it the hope that next year, we will all be together making music.

In 鈥淪potless Rose,鈥� the Concert Choir relates a tale of the Nativity, foretold in Isaiah and already reimagined in a 16th century poetic text: 鈥渇rom the root of Jesse shall spring forth a flower to show God鈥檚 love for all humanity.鈥� Composer Ola Gjeilo鈥檚 setting of the medieval carol text works equally well in English or in his native Norwegian. The soloists are sopranos Anna Gabel, a sophomore art education major from Quincy, Ill., and J鈥檕rdan Scurlock, a senior criminal justice major from St. Louis.

In Arvo P盲rt鈥檚 setting of the scriptural antiphon 鈥淢agnificat,鈥� Mary鈥檚 song of exultation at bearing God鈥檚 son shifts and resounds with a bell-like effect through a compositional technique called聽tintinnabuli. The choir weaves beautiful harmonies around the fixed tone of a soprano chant, sung by Dr. Carol Mathieson, professor emerita of music.

Fred Bock鈥檚 鈥淧eace, Peace,鈥� a highlight of C-SC Christmas Concerts for several years, partners the traditional German carol 鈥淪ilent Night鈥� with the composer鈥檚 own expression of the yearning of the season for peace on earth. With a soprano saxophone obbligato played by Dr. Trent Hollinger, associate professor of music, the Concert Choir crescendos gradually to the finale, when all of the choirs join in with the beloved carol 鈥� peace, peace, Silent Night.

###

The Chamber Choir opens the concert with 鈥淥 Love,鈥� expressing 19th century Scottish poet Rev. George Matheson鈥檚 sense that love can lift the soul above sadness, just as one traces the rainbow through the rain. The Chamber Choir sings a new melodic setting by composer Elaine Hagenberg, which reinforces the soaring quality of the timeless hymn.

Composer Rollo Dillworth based 鈥淲hen Dreams Take Flight鈥� on renowned 19th century African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar鈥檚 鈥淒reams,鈥� which reminds us that as with flights of fancy, withering sadness also will pass away. The Chamber Choir鈥檚 performance features soprano Talia Schneider, a junior musical theatre major from Altamont, Ill., and tenor Corbin Doucette, a sophomore music major from Cabool, Mo.

The longing to escape from troubles that tinge many spirituals appears powerfully in 鈥淟et Me Fly,鈥� which opens the Concert Choir鈥檚 portion of the concert.聽 This arrangement by Robert DeCormier features baritone Kar鈥橫el Brewer, a senior music education major from St. Louis.

Kim Andr茅 Arnesen鈥檚 鈥淔light Song鈥� calls for collaboration as it is set to Welsh poet Euan Tait鈥檚 lyrical call to sing one鈥檚 own heart鈥檚 melody, together even in isolation. The conductor鈥檚 arms shape like wings to gather in each singer鈥檚 longing to fly towards others鈥� suffering and offer new life. 鈥淭he Boy Who Picked Up His Feet to Fly鈥� concludes the Concert Choir鈥檚 portion of the program and captures the sense of the times with optimistic whimsey. Composer Joshua Shank suggests that wishing to fly away can bring exhilarating joy but adds that in a time of danger, be careful what you wish for.

Songs of Flight is available on SoundCloud at:聽.

###

CANTON, Mo. 鈥撀燜aculty members from 乱伦社区鈥檚 Department of Music will be featured in two Casual Classics concerts in April at the Hannibal Arts Council, 105 S. Main in Hannibal.

The Faculty Chamber Concert, a vocal and instrumental showcase, will be at 2 p.m. April 13.聽Performers will be Dylan Marney, piano; Lisa Blake, mezzo-soprano; Aren Van Houzen, trumpet; Trent Hollinger, saxophone; Scotty Allison, tenor;聽and Joe Skertich, composition.

The second concert will be on April 27 with Marney performing solo works by聽Bach, Brahms and Kapustin on the piano.

No admission is charged for either performance.聽 Advance ticket purchases or reservations are unnecessary.

The Casual Classics series is a partnership with the Hannibal Arts Council, Hannibal Concert Association, 乱伦社区 Division of Fine, Applied, and Literary Arts, Area Culver-Stockton Trustees and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

For more information on these concerts, contact the Hannibal Arts Council at聽findit@hannibalarts.com听辞谤听573-221-6545聽or go to its website at聽.

###