Get in the Holiday Spirit with UK School of Music and UK Choirs
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
The end of the fall semester is a unique time on our campus. Students are gathering to study together for finals, holiday decorations are rising across Lexington, and faculty and staff are working diligently to close out the end of a calendar year.
Though busy, the end of the fall semester is also a great time to reflect upon the various things that make UK such a special place.
We’re home to an array of top programs that garner national attention for excellence. One of those programs will be on display this weekend.
Each year, in honor of the holiday season, the School of Music and UK Choirs host a concert of more than 500 musicians – a true testament to the success and excellence of the program. The concert, titled “Collage,” will be the School’s 19th annual event and will be hosted in the Singletary Center for the Arts.
The University of Kentucky School of Music is internationally recognized for excellence in performance, music education, and research in music. For nearly 100 years, the School has prepared musicians for careers as performers, educators, researchers, and in a wide array of leadership positions both in and outside of the field of music. Students have abundant opportunities to participate in prestigious ensembles – from orchestras to choirs to the Wildcat Marching Band – that perform throughout the U.S. and the world.
A Central Kentucky holiday tradition, "Collage" is presented by the UK Choirs under the direction of Jefferson Johnson, director of UK Choral Activities, and Lori Hetzel, associate director of UK Choral Activities. The concerts showcase the department's highly praised student groups, UK Chorale, UK Choristers, UK Women's Choir and UK Men's Chorus, as well as the UK Choir's a cappella groups, the acoUstiKats, Paws and Listen, and Blue Note. The concert is a fast-paced and visually exciting program featuring the best of holiday music from around the world.
In addition to the UK Choirs, this season’s concerts will feature the SaxCats, a 10-piece ensemble made up of members of the UK Saxophone studio led by Professor Miles Osland; UK Blue Steel, a steel drum band under the direction of doctoral student Francisco Perez; the UK Holiday Clarinets led by Associate Professor Scott Wright; and a crowd favorite, the Grasscats, a bluegrass band led by Johnson.
"Collage" also features the rich talents of the Lexington arts community. This year’s concert is no exception as it will include performances by the Lexington Singers; the Lexington Singers Children's Choir, conducted by Hetzel and alumnus Daniel Wesley; the handbell ensemble Alluring, led by Patty Saunders; and the Lexington Catholic High School Chamber Choir, directed by alumni Katie Owen and Rob Vanover.
Tickets for "Collage" are $28 for adults and seniors, and $13 for students and children. Groups of 15 or more can get tickets for $23 per person. A handling fee will be added upon transaction. Tickets are available through the Singletary Center ticket office by phone at 869-257-4929, online at www.scfatickets.com, or in person at the venue.
The College is comprised of four academic units that directly serve the mission of the College: the School of Art and Visual Studies, the Department of Arts Administration, the School of Music, and the Department of Theatre and Dance. Their mission centers upon the idea that the arts are essential to the life of the individual and the community; the college expresses this through a dedication to teaching, scholarly research, artistic experimentation, performance, and exhibition. “Collage” is a fine example of exactly that.
I hope you have the chance to attend.
Tim Tracy
@UKYProvost
#seeblue