04 Dec Telluride Choral Society: WinterSing 2015
No holiday is more closely associated with music than Christmas, whose evolution as a cultural phenomenon is reflected in those sounds.
As Christmas became more secular, spiritual songs were largely supplanted by chestnuts such as Rudolph, Sleigh Bells Ring (are you listening?). And if you scan that list, guess who wrote the biggest hits? Answer: ironically, Jewish composers such as Irving Berlin (“White Christmas”) Mel Torme (“The Christmas Song”) and Felix Bernard (“Winter Wonderland’), etc.
While it may be frustrating for the faithful, who feel the true meaning of the holiday has been preempted by commercialism, fact is we live in multicultural times, when the blending and mixing of traditions is inevitable – and that could be a good thing. Scratch the surface, bag the canned rhetoric, and perhaps we find Christians, Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Buddhists all over the world are more alike than different. In the spirit of coming together, American Christmas celebrations now appear to belong to everyone.
It is in that spirit that we look forward to the Telluride Choral Society‘s 22nd annual WinterSing. Concerts are Friday and Saturday, December 11 and 12. Featuring 87 local singers, accompanied by Susan Ensor and Kyra Kopestonsky, and conducted by Rhonda Muckerman, artistic director of the Telluride Choral Society, this year’s WinterSing is entitled “Merrily On High.”
The program includes traditional and contemporary songs of the winter season presented by talented singers, ages 7-70 (and above!) in what has become a long-standing, much-loved Telluride holiday tradition.
The Telluride Choral Society’s ensembles include the Training Choir, Choristers, OmniVoce, Emanon, Chorale and Chambers Singers, with special guests the Jewel Tones, and Renaissance Singers.
For many of us, this time of year consists of rushing around to complete a seemingly endless list of holiday tasks. The Telluride Choral Society invites everyone to take just 1 1/2 hours to experience the peace, beauty, and joy of the season as we perform traditional and contemporary settings of s such tunes ‘Angels We Have Heard on High,’ ‘Carol of Winter Peace,’ ’S’vivon,’ ‘Silent Night,’ and many more,” explains Muckerman. “We guarantee everyone will leave the concert feeling inspired, uplifted, and connected with the greater Telluride community in a very merry way! Suddenly ‘task’ is spelled ‘no-brainer.”
Two performances: Friday, December 11, 7 p.m.; Saturday, December 12, 3 p.m., both at Christ Church, 434 Columbia Avenue.
Tickets are $20/adults and $10/students, and available at the door.
For more information, please call (970)729-0082.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.