The Cameron University Concert Choir and the Gold Notes, CU’s jazz choir, will present “Sound of the Season,” an evening of festive and inspiring music to welcome the holidays. The concert is slated for Thursday, November 20, at Lawton’s First Presbyterian Church, located at 1302 S.W. A Ave. The 7:30 p.m. concert is open to the public at no charge.
“This concert truly offers something for everyone,” says Dr. Christian Morren, director of the CU Concert Choir. “It not only showcases our outstanding CU vocalists but also highlights several of our talented instrumentalists, alumni and concurrent students. ‘Sound of the Season’ is an excellent way to kick off the holidays — filled with warmth, variety, and community spirit.
The CU Concert Choir will kick off the concert with the ancient Latin carol "Personent Hodie,” followed by Ruth Hageman's hauntingly beautiful “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Violinist Kaitlin Kaulaity will be featured on the American hymn "Brightest and Best.” The Concert Choir will conclude its portion of the program with a unique arrangement of "Jingle Bells (in a minor key)."
Under the direction of adjunct faculty member Khalil Cabrera-Tosado, the Gold Notes will present the Pentatonix version Robin Pecknold’s “White Winter Hymnal, as arranged by Alan Billingsley. The ensemble will follow that with Kirby Shaw’s arrangement of George and Ira Gershwin’s “Embraceable You” and will wrap up its portion of the concert with “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” by JC Chasez, Vincent DeGiorgio, Veit Renn and Justin Timberlake. The Pentatonix version is arranged by Roger Emerson. The last piece will feature the CU Jazz Combo, made up of Reese Henderson, Melody Veloz and Damein Shugart.
“Even though the holiday season can be stressful – buying gifts, making time to spend with family, and for students – preparing for finals, it’s also a time for self-reflection,” says Cabrera-Tosado. “When choosing the numbers for this concert, I wanted to highlight the professionalism of the ensemble while still accent the theme of ‘Sound of the Season.’ What are the sounds that shape our season? Are they sounds of joy, growth, laughter, loss or hope? It is important for us to appreciate those sounds and the sounds that are around us – sounds of family, conversation and love.”
The members of the Gold Notes are Mariah Baggs, Cache; and Vanessa Cleophat, Darnell Collins, Divina D’Haiti, Kirstin Dunn, Brittany Hall, Winston Hartley, Alex Miller and Lillie Wright, all of Lawton.
The program will also feature two student conductors, each of whom will conduct small choral ensembles. Brittany Hall will conduct “This Winter’s Night” by Nicholas Myers, and Chelsea Mitchell will conduct “Silent Night” arranged by Dan Forrest.
“The CU choral program is deeply committed to giving our students real-world experience in all aspects of performance, including conducting,” Morren says. “It's always inspiring to see our students, alumni and high school students come together to create such meaningful and uplifting music."
“’Sound of the Season’ promises a joyful start to the holiday season, celebrating the beauty of voices united in song and the spirit of the Cameron University community,” Morren says. “We are grateful to Tom Willoughby and the First Presbyterian Church for the use of the beautiful sanctuary. Not only does First Presbyterian provide a beautiful space in which to sing, but it also commits to providing scholarships to eight of our students each year.”
Community members can support Cameron’s music program by making a donation to the Cameron University Foundation to help fund student scholarships, performances and educational opportunities. Visit www.cameron.edu/foundation/ways-to-give or call 580-581-2999.
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