November 20, 2010

With the holiday season underway, the Music Program will present a week of concerts featuring the all-new All College Choir, several musical world premieres, and a bounty of timeless holiday classics. The week begins with the Fusion Band, who will be celebrating their new CD, Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing, and the Rock Ensemble performing hits from Billy Joel to Tom Petty, on Tuesday, November 30th at 7:30 PM at the Mandell Theater. On Wednesday, December 1st at 7 PM, also at the Mandell, the Percussion Ensemble plays songs from some of our favorite films, including “You’re So Cool” from True Romance and “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid. Click here to watch a sample of what the Percussion Ensemble has to offer. The Percussion Ensemble will also share the stage with the Guitar and Mediterranean Ensembles.

The Jazz Orchestra will play selections from Duke Ellington to Duke Pearson at the Mandell Theater on Thursday, December 2nd at 8 PM. On Friday, December 3rd, audiences will face the difficult choice of attending concerts by either the All College Choir and String Orchestra in the Main Auditorium at 7:30 PM, or classical and folk music performed by the Keyboard Ensemble at the Mandell Theater also at 7:30 PM. The String Orchestra, under their new director Paul Bryan, will play a program of seasonal fare including “Fantasia on Greenesleeves” and “Three Dances” from The Nutcracker. The following afternoon, Saturday, December 4th at 3 PM the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Naturally Sharp, will have the audience tapping their feet in the Mandell Theater as they perform music that swings. That evening at 7:30 PM, the Gospel Choir will have a Christmas Celebration at the Mandell, featuring original works by gospel choir director, Gregory Ross.

The University Chorus and Chamber Singers will perform on Sunday, December 5th at 3 PM in the Main Auditorium. The University Chorus’ ambitious program will include Ernest Bloch’s Avodath Hakodesh and Randall Thompson’s Frostiana, a suite of seven Robert Frost poems providing a glimpse of rural New England life. Selections of the Chorus and Chamber Singers’ previous concerts can be heard here. This week of music offerings ends with a performance from the Concert Band on Sunday, December 5th at 7 PM. Under the direction of Dr. Myron Moss, the band will present two premieres: “Stephanos,” by Harold Burgmayer and “Umoja,” by Valerie Coleman. Before you become too busy with approaching finals and all that the holidays’ demand, why not come out and enjoy the wide range of music played by talented Drexel students? All concerts are free and open to the public. For more information please call 215-895-2787 or email Jim Yandoli at yandoli@drexel.edu.