Illustration by Yu-Wang
By Brette Fishman
Daily Bruin Contributor
Winter is approaching, and at UCLA a festive way to celebrate the holiday season is the Music Department’s annual Holiday Concert.
Conductors and singers hope that the audience will experience a reawakening of their spirit through music at the concert on Dec. 2 at Royce Hall. The concert will communicate the joy of the holiday season with an eclectic variety of seasonal fare.
The UCLA Chorale will commence the performance with a presentation of the music of J.S. Bach, commemorating the 250th anniversary of his death. The concert also includes a special selection of standard holiday carols as well as some less familiar music. Songs include a Hanukkah song and an African American spiritual piece titled “Go Tell It On The Mountain.”
“I think there is going to be a very warm and moving atmosphere at the concert,” said UCLA Chorale member Claire Gallou, a first-year graduate student in comparative literature, about the gospel piece. “The gospel music makes us shiver each time we sing it. It will be really powerful.”
Fred Davidson, a second-year graduate student in choral conducting, explained that the performance shoots for something that engages and touches the heart. Davidson studies under Professor Donald Neuen, one of the directors of the Campus Choir.
The performers’ desire for the audience to have a good time balances their goal for the audience to have a soulful experience. A welcome and inviting atmosphere surrounds the Holiday Concert. Davidson said that people are invited to sing along.
“I think it is some of the most beautiful music,” said Davidson. “It evokes a certain tenderness ... It’s just wonderful music, people love to sing it and hear it.”
Neuen said that he makes his musical selections for the concert based on what he believes children and families will enjoy.
“I hope they take away with them the spirit of the holiday,” he said.
The diverse nature of the selections will provide entertainment for lovers of all types of music. The concert features performances by the UCLA Chorale, University Chorus, Campus Choir, and Brass Ensemble with orchestra, and a performance by a special guest artist, jazz guitarist and Professor Kenny Burrell.
Burrell is a specialist in jazz performance, improvisation, composition, and jazz history. He is the Director of the Jazz Studies Program in the Department of Ethnomusicology, as well as one of the world’s most respected jazz artists.
“There are a couple of arrangements with a spectacular jazz guitarist which increases the strength of the concert,” said second-year political science major and Campus Chorale member Todd Bradley. “There is ornate, delicate music and more traditional holiday music. It’s fun and exciting to sing.”
Neuen explained that the variety of music ranges from classical to lighter fare, challenging the students intellectually and providing them with a fulfilling musical palette.
The Chorale has been practicing all quarter for this concert, their main production. Their hard work and practice will come to fruition this Saturday.
“We won’t settle for anything less than excellent,” said Benoit Weber, a film scoring and music student who is a member of the Campus Chorale. “It is amazing what Director Neuen can bring out of you, even in rehearsal.”
Neuen feels that everyone will benefit from being exposed to music. He believes that audience and singers alike will enjoy the performances, explaining that music serves to entertain as well as challenge the mind.
“Great singing rejuvenates the soul, the mind, and the body,” Neuen said.
MUSIC: “Holiday Concert” in Royce Hall at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2. Student tickets are $7 and general public tickets are $10 at the UCLA Central Ticket Office. For more information, contact the Central Ticket Office at (310) 825-2101.