OBU Music Preparatory Choirs to Present Christmas Concert Dec. 7

The Music Preparatory Department Choirs at Oklahoma Baptist University will present a Christmas Concert Sunday, Dec. 7, at 3 p.m. in Raley Chapel's Potter Auditorium. Three choirs will be performing, including the Discovery Singers, Shawnee Honor Choir and the Concert Choir. The event is free and open to the public.

This is the 14th year the choirs will present a joint Christmas concert. The youngest choir, Discovery Singers, under the direction of Ashley Pierce, will open the program with "Sing Noel" by Michael Praetorius, arranged by Audrey Snyder.

In its thirty-second year, Shawnee Honor Choir, will continue the program. The group is an auditioned choir of third through eighth graders conducted by Conchita Hansford, OBU Music Preparatory Department director. They will begin their portion with "Gloria Deo!" a traditional Latin piece with music by Mary Lynn Lightfoot, and then perform "Hurry to Bethlehem" by Allen Pote. Other selections include "Let's Celebrate His Birth" by Patsy Ford Simms; "Christmas Praise," a hymn by Charles Wesley, arranged by J. Paul Williams and Craig Curry; "Solstice" by Randall Thompson; and "Do You Hear What I Hear" by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne, arranged by Audrey Snyder.

Orff instrumentalists will perform a folk song by Carl Orff. These student performers include Kaitlyn Duran, Abigail Lilite, Catherine Burgess, Estelle Lilite and Emily Day on soprano glockenspiels; Alethea Anderson, alto glockenspiel; Andi Burgess and Clara Timmons, soprano xylophones; Emma Monge, Baylor Brannan and Keilani Anderson, alto xylophones; Maggie Sherman, soprano metallophone; Brent White, alto metallophone; Devon Kreft, bass xylophone; Jacob Yoakum, bass metallophone; Tyler Day, bass bars; and Andrew Terrell, tambourine.

The Shawnee Honor Choir will conclude their portion of the concert with an audience sing-a-long of Christmas carols accompanied by hand chimes. Hand chime performers include Kenna Annis, Nora Beam, Grace Belyeu, Milea Budde, Abigail Canning, Tyson Combs, Trenton Cope-Ueltzen, Hailey Criss, Jenevieve Gay, Camryn Green, Chloe Kasterke, Cambrie Kreft, Mary Lytle, Favor Mbote, Adriana McGehee, Hyrum Miner, Corinna Ropp, Anna Sconyers, Abby Smith, Kelby Vass, Alexis Walker, BryeAnna Watson, Little White and Jacob Yoakum.

The Concert Choir will conclude the concert. The ensemble consists of high school students, under the direction of Dr. Kathy Scherler, assistant professor of music education. The choir will perform "Carol of the Bells," a Ukrainian Christmas carol arranged by Peter J. Wilhousky; "Cantate Domino" by Nancy Hill Cobb; "A Joyful Noel" by Emily Crocker; and "Sleigh Ride" by Mitchel Parish and Leroy Anderson, arranged by Mark Brymer. To conclude the Concert Choir's performance, the Discovery Singers will join them and sing "African Noel," a Liberian folk song arranged by Aden G. Lewis.

The combined choirs will take the stage next, performing "Night of Silence," Daniel Kantor's partner song with "Silent Night." Soloists for "Night of Silence" include Abigail Lilite, Corinna Ropp and Emily Day. The joint choirs will close the program with a traditional round, "Merry Christmas to You All."

For the 25th consecutive year, Shawnee Honor Choir will also present its Christmas program in area schools. On Tuesday, Dec. 2, the choir will perform at Family of Faith, North Rock Creek, and Liberty Academy. On Friday, Dec. 5, the choir will perform at Sequoyah, Grove, Will Rogers, and Sterling House, an assisted living facility.

Auditions are open for students to join the choirs in January. To schedule an audition or for more information, visit the Prep Department webpage, call (405) 585-4329 or email prep@okbu.edu.