TRAC presents A Christmas Choral Sampler Nov. 17
On Nov. 17, the University of West Alabama Concert Choir and Singers, in collaboration with the Two Rivers Arts Council (TRAC), will present A Christmas Choral Sampler at 6 p.m. at the Demopolis High School Auditorium. This is the first of three UWA choral concerts this semester.
The community is invited to come enjoy a preview of The University of West Alabama’s upcoming Dec. 3 performance of Handel’s Messiah, along with selections from holiday classics like The Boar’s Head Carol, of the Father’s Love Begotten, and the Twelve Days of Christmas!
“Thanks to the Two Rivers Arts Council, Demopolis is our first stop for Christmas caroling”, said Dr. Christopher Shelt, the group’s conductor. “We want to get the people of Demopolis in the Christmas spirit with excellent Christmas vocal music. The Nov. 17 Demopolis concert is one of two prelude concerts leading up to the Dec. 3 evening performance of Handel’s Messiah on the UWA Campus. The second prelude concert is earlier in the day on Dec. 3, a 2:30 p.m. family concert entitled “UWA Young People Sing at Christmas.”
Alongside UWA faculty and student players, Shelt is bringing in players from the Mississippi Symphony to accompany both the concerts on Saturday, Dec. 3. Two professional soloists, both trained by Shelt, will sing some of the Messiah solos along with UWA student soloists. A Christmas Choral Sampler will feature several preview performances of Messiah choruses along with other Christmas classics.
Within the next five years, Shelt, who is the new Professor of Vocal Music at UWA, wants to build an unparalleled culture of vocal music-making at UWA, the very finest in its history. He wants to see UWA a recognized vocal leader in the State of Alabama, bringing great vocal music of all kinds to the Black Belt Region, building a culture of great singing that impacts children and adults in our extended community. This vision includes producing Music Majors in the Vocal Arts at UWA, who will impact the world. Shelt is a formidable choral and orchestral conductor with three decades of experience. He is vocal pedagogy instructor and active student of vocal science with more than 18 years of university level experience, training studio teachers, music educators, and church musicians in state-of-the-art vocal methodologies. He is also a clinician and consultant in vocal music, doing many seminars in vocal pedagogy, locally and internationally, at conservatories in Peru and Indonesia as well as in other parts of the world.
Come out on Nov. 17 and hear A Christmas Choral Sampler, featuring selections from Handel’s Messiah along with selections from holiday classics like The Boar’s Head Carol, Of the Father’s Love Begotten, and The Twelve Days of Christmas. General admission is $10, while students and TRAC members are free. Tickets can be purchased at the Demopolis Public Library or at the door the night of the performance.