Hallelujah! It's time for M State's Winter Concert
Ring in the holidays – and sing them in, too! – with the M State Fine Arts department’s Winter Concert, featuring the music of “Mannheim Steamroller” and a sing-along of Handel’s famous “Hallelujah Chorus.”
Beginning Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. in Legacy Hall on the college’s Fergus Falls campus, the concert will showcase the vocal and instrumental talents of the college’s Concert Band, Concert Choir, Voice Ensemble and Chamber Chorale.
“We look forward to this time of year and the music that accompanies it,” say M State Music Faculty members James Iverson and Laura Quaintance, who direct the band and choirs, respectively. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with those audience members interested in singing again and hope to have many additional voices on stage for the ‘Hallelujah Chorus.’”
The “Hallelujah Chorus” is the most famous piece from George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah,” an 18th-century dramatic musical commentary on the Biblical story of Jesus Christ. It is one of the Western world’s best-known and most frequently performed choral works. The M State concert audience will be invited to join the choirs on stage to sing along during the performance of this classic holiday number.
Audiences are also likely to recognize several popular holiday songs performed by the Concert Band in the style of “Mannheim Steamroller,” the No. 1 Christmas music ensemble of all time. Featured pieces will include, “Joy to the World,” “Greensleeves,” “Pat-A-Pan” and others. “Sleigh Ride,” a holiday favorite by LeRoy Anderson, will also be performed.
Limited seating will be available, so advanced tickets are encouraged. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door (school-aged students get in for $5, free admission for M State students and staff with a college ID). They may be purchased in advance at the Fergus Falls Campus Store or online. The campus store is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and may be reached at 218.736.1556.
Ticket sales will re-open at 1 p.m. at Legacy Hall on the day of the concert. Seating is first-come, first-served.
For more information about M State’s Fine Arts department and additional upcoming Fine Arts events, visit minnesota.edu/fine-arts.
