UNIVERSITY MUSICIANS PLAN HOLIDAY CONCERT

The Department of Music at Southeast Missouri State University will present a special concert of Early American and traditional Christmas music at 8 p.m. Nov. 30 in Academic Auditorium.

The program will feature Wilberg's new "Four American Folk Hymns," plus a dramatic setting of traditional Christmas carols for choir and orchestra, "The Many Moods of Christmas." The Choral Union and University Choir, directed by Dr. John Egbert, and the University Orchestra, directed by Dr. Sara Edgerton, will present the performance. Rehearsal accompanists for the choirs are Tim DePriest, University Choir, and Christy Shinn, Choral Union.

Free concert shuttles will be provided to and from Academic Hall parking lot #4 on Henderson between Broadway and Normal. Admission for the concert is $5 for adults, $3 for students and senior citizens, or free with a University I.D.The Orchestra will open with William Walton's "Crown Imperial," commissioned for King George VI's coronation in Westminster Abbey."Following its enthusiastically received premiere, "Crown Imperial" has become one of Walton's most popular and frequently performed works," Edgerton said.

The orchestra also will perform "Sicilienne," a well-known symphonic work by the French composer Gabriel Faure.

In discussing the choir's portion of the concert, Egbert said, "Many of our patrons will remember the popular concert finale several years ago, 'Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.' In his 'Four American Folk Hymns,' Mack Wilberg shows why he is considered one of the premiere choral arrangers in America. Some of the hymns are robust, some haunting, but they are all distinctively Early American. Wilberg, in his usual attention to detail has retained their simplicity, yet scored the pieces to create moments of boundless energy, intense personal reflection, and profound depth of emotion."Over the years, singers and community patrons alike have requested that we perform some traditional Christmas music," he added. "Thus, to conclude the concert, we will present Suite III of Robert Shaw/Robert Russell Bennett's 'The Many Moods of Christmas,' a set of carols arranged for full symphonic orchestra and choir."It just seemed to me," he said, "that with the rapidly approaching end of the 20th century and the second millennium, this would be the ideal time to take a look back at our heritage. This wonderful music strengthens our sense of lineage because this music is representative of who we were and who we are. I suspect that this concert will be regarded by many as one of their most rewarding musical experiences in years." Egbert added, "We have been fortunate over the past several years, because the community has given us tremendous support and has transformed these Choral Union/Orchestra concerts into major cultural events. We had great audiences for last year's performances, and I anticipate this concert -- particularly because of the nature of the music -- to be similar. I think our patrons are in for a real treat, not just because this music is very general-audience friendly and is music everyone can appreciate, but this year's Choral Union has almost 200 singers."