The magical sounds of Christmas floating through the brisk air can be heard all around this time of year: snowflakes delicately settling on the ground, the firm patting of boots on the snow-covered street and the excitable conversations of passersby as they review their gift purchases.
However, the most uplifting and captivating sound of all is the joyous singing and music that embodies the true spirit of the holidays. This year, several of Creighton University’s choirs will be spreading the warmth of the season by singing traditional Christmas hymns and triumphant melodies in their annual Christmas Concert.
The concert, on Dec. 6 in St. John’s Church, will showcase the hard work and talent of Chamber Choir, directed by Dr. Barron Breland; University Chorus, directed by Stephen Sheftz; and Gospel Choir, directed by Dr. Claudette Valentine. But don’t expect to hear your typical Christmas pop songs and radio tunes.
“I generally try to expose the singers to classical Christmas music from multiple eras of music history,” said Breland, the choral director of the Chamber Choir.
“It is all classical music, not the traditional pop Christmas stuff.”
Some of the pieces that will be performed include “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” arranged by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw; “Ave Maria” and “Ne Timeas Maria,” composed by Luis de Victoria; and “What Sweeter Music,” composed by John Rutter.
“We have been working on a variety of songs in several different languages that all go along with the Christmas theme in some way,” Chamber Choir member and Arts &Sciences sophomore Patrick Kilcoyne said.
“My favorites would have to be Arvo Part’s ‘Bogoróditse Djévo’ as well as Alice Parker and Robert Shaw’s arrangement of the traditional Gregorian chant, ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,'” he said.
The ability to perform such complicated and diverse repertoire is not developed overnight. Many of the choirs have been rehearsing for this concert for a couple of months, in addition to performing in other concerts and events.
“We’ve been rehearsing for this concert, along with our collaboration we had with University Chorus and Wind Ensemble, since our midterm concert on Oct. 14,” Kilcoyne said.
In fact, this will not be the first time that University Chorus and Chamber Choir will be performing in the same concert this smester. Just before Thanksgiving, the two choirs sang at the University Orchestra and Wind Ensemble’s Fall Concert as guests, where they sang more contemporary pop Christmas tunes. University Chorus performed at the Christmas at Creighton celebration and World AIDS Day service event on Dec. 1, while Chamber Choir went caroling in the Old Market and performed at the Joslyn Art Museum on Dec. 2. Gospel Choir has also had a busy semester performing at various churches throughout the Omaha area.
“We’re like a family,” Chamber Choir member and Arts & Sciences sophomore Erin Cahill said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.”
In keeping with the Christmas theme, the concert will take place inside St. John’s Church. Both the students and the directors agree that St. John’s has both aesthetic and acoustic qualities that enhance the concert experience.
“The acoustics inside of St. John’s suit certain types of music much better than the Led Center does,” Kilcoyne said. “For the music that we will be performing for this concert, the acoustics inside St. John’s are quite preferable.”
The Christmas spirit spans beyond the music, as people may donate canned goods to the Siena Francis House in lieu of paying for a ticket.
“It’s really neat we can do something we love and have it help the community at the same time,” Cahill said.
The choir students’ enthusiasm and determination to perform advanced pieces are testament to the growth of Creighton’s choir program.
“They’ve worked very hard and mastered some extremely challenging music,” Dr. Breland said.
“It’s only my second year here at Creighton, but the ensemble has already vastly improved, and they are striving to be one of the best choirs in the region.”