December 8, 1998

Loyola ushers in the holiday season with annual Christmas at Loyola event

by Reid Wick, publicity coordinator for the College of Music

Loyola celebrates the holidays with the annual Christmas at Loyola concert and tree-lighting ceremony on Sunday, December 6, at 3 p.m. in the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus.

The concert will feature the Loyola Choirs under the direction of Meg Hulley, the Loyola Brass Ensemble under the direction of Joseph Hebert, and Loyola Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Dean Angeles. The concert is followed by a reception in the horseshoe and a tree-lighting ceremony at dusk.

The concert will consist of a mixture of classical Christmas music and treatments of more popular Christmas songs. Musical highlights include Buxtehude’s Magnificat featuring the Loyola University Chorus and Chamber Orchestra with faculty soloists Philip and Ellen Frohnmayer, Theresa McCree, Denise Gallo, and the 1998-99 student concerto/aria competition winner Rendell James. The Loyola Chorale will perform Rachmaninov’s “Bogoroditse Devo” from The Vespers collection as well as Biebel’s “Ave Maria.” The program will be rounded out by a number of traditional Christmas carols and hymns and will close with an audience sing-a-long.

This year’s event will again have a secondary function as a food drive. Although admission is free, audience members are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items as a donation to the Second Harvesters food bank. The College of Music and the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations are sponsors of both the concert and reception.

For additional information, call ext. 2074.