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Dec. 1, 2014 — The Allegheny Choirs, under the direction of James D. Niblock, will perform a free concert at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, December 6 in Shafer Auditorium at Allegheny College. The Allegheny College Chorus, Chamber Choir, Women’s Ensemble, Men’s Ensemble and Choir will perform individually as well as in a finale of combined groups.

The College Chorus, featuring Allegheny students and singers from Meadville and surrounding communities, will open the program with two movements from Mozart’s “Sparrow Mass,” as well as the French carol “Masters in this Hall.”

The Chamber Choir will follow with unaccompanied selections ranging from Gregorian plainsong and playful French chansons to the Star-Spangled Banner. Student soloists Leah Stefanelli and Chris Schuchert will be featured in the Appalachian carol “I Wonder as I Wander.”

The Women’s Ensemble will sing the words of William Shakespeare and Gerard Manley Hopkins before delving into traditional carols of Austria and England.

The Men’s Ensemble will showcase work in several languages, from the lumber camps of Quebec to the olive groves of Spain, as well as a classic glee club arrangement of “Lo, How a Rose e’er Blooming” by Michael Praetorius.

The College Choir’s performance will include a commissioned work by Allegheny alumnus Crawford R. Thoburn. “Wisdom Exalteth Her Children,” which was composed to celebrate Allegheny’s bicentennial, will feature student soloists Ashley Mulryan, Bailey Blashford and Lauren Dominique. The Choir will also perform Eric Whitacre’s “Five Hebrew Love Songs,” with Jim Ross at the piano and guest violinist David Colwell. Colwell is assistant professor of music at SUNY Fredonia.

Pianists Jim Ross, Kevin Dill and Ward Jamison will collaborate with the ensembles throughout the program. The finale of combined choirs will include “Christmas Hymn – While by my Sheep” as well as Allegheny’s Alma Mater as arranged by Morten J. Luvaas.