Several ASU choirs are welcoming the holiday season with the annual holiday choral festival on Nov 30. and Dec 1. at the Evelyn Smith Music Theatre which includes seasonal favorites including ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ and ‘Carols and Lullabies’.
There will be seven choirs performing at the festival, including the Arizona Statesmen, Barrett Choir, Chamber Singers, Choral Union, Concert Choir, Gospel Choir and the Women's Chorus.
Psychology senior Skylar Anderson, who serves as the Gospel Choir president, said that this festival is one that she is most proud of.
“There is going to be a lot of holiday songs," she said. "For example, Gospel Choir will be singing 'The Little Drummer Boy', and there is going to be a cute drummer boy. He is about six or seven, and he will be playing the drums.”
She said their take on some of the classics will surprise the audience.
"The way we are singing it is not the traditional Little Drummer Boy most are used to," Anderson said. "It has more of a gospel and R&B feel to it."
Anderson said this will be first time in a long time that the Gospel Choir has had a chance to sing Christmas music for an audience. It has been something they have been planning for months, and they are excited to present to the ASU community, she said.
Music education sophomore Julia Benner of the Gospel choir said listening to holiday songs is something she does months before Christmas, and singing them during the festival makes her joyful.
Benner explained that practicing with people who are energetic, who love what they do and support each other has been a positive influence leading up to the event.
“I am looking forward to hearing the other choirs and the sets that they put on,” Benner said. “We have put in a lot of work, so it will be a really good concert.”
Director of Choral activities David Schildkret said this festival has been a part of a long-time tradition at ASU, presenting a program that features all of the choirs at ASU for the holidays.
During the two-hour program, there will be pieces in Hebrew, Latin and some in Spanish, Schildkret, who will be conducting the Barrett Choir, said.
He also said not all of the members are aspiring to be music professionals. In his group of about 80, he has students from the engineering school, the business school and the college of liberal arts and sciences.
“It really is wonderful coming together of all aspects of the university,” he said. “This is our students doing this and it is just tremendous.”
Tickets are available online and will be available at the theatre during the festival. Prices are set at $15 for general admission and $5 for ASU students.
Reach the reporter at quindrea.yazzie@asu.eduor follow @quindreayazzie on Twitter.
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