USAO Concert Choir to Hold Holiday Concert Nov. 20 in Alumni Chapel

The University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma Concert Choir and Chamber Ensemble will perform their annual Holiday Concert on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m. in the campus’ Alumni Chapel. Preconcert music will begin approximately 30 minutes prior with the Chamber Ensemble singing and bell ringing in the chapel lobby. The event is free and open to the public.

Old and new seasonal choral selections in Latin, Spanish and English will be performed with piano and flute accompaniments. The Concert Choir will sing “For the Beauty of the Earth,” arranged for voices, piano and flute, “Winter With You,” “At This Table,” and several other choral pieces. The Concert Choir is an auditioned ensemble of mixed voices representing more than a dozen academic majors.

The Chamber Ensemble will perform a cappella choral music, including traditional carols in Italian, Spanish, Latin and English. They will present handbell arrangement of holiday music, including “I Saw Three Ships.” Chamber Ensemble singers frequently perform for community functions. The singers are scheduled to appear at Festival of Light special events, including Chickasha’s Downtown Park Grand Opening Celebration on Nov. 5 and the Altrusa Hall of Trees on Nov. 12. The ensemble will perform for the USAO Homecoming Memorial Service on Nov. 6.

Dr. Jan Hanson, professor of music, conducts the Concert Choir and Chamber Ensemble. She also teaches coursework in music history, literature, and methods for both majors and non-majors. She has directed dozens of musical theatre productions at USAO, the Chickasha Community Theatre and the Next Generation Performing Arts Camp. She is in demand as a choral adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor throughout the area. Rhenada Finch, collaborative keyboardist, adjunct instructor in music and a 2006 alumna of the university, will serve as the accompanist for the event.

For more information, contact Hanson at 405-574-1298 or jhanson@usao.edu.