The Chowan Singers, Chamber Chorus, Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble and Community Chorus will present the annual Christmas at Chowan concert Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 3:30 PM.

The Music Department, with the Murfreesboro Rotary, are collecting Toys for Tots to provide Christmas gifts to Hertford County children. We are asking all who attend this free concert to bring an unwrapped gift for a child this Christmas. Boxes will be in the back of Turner Auditorium ready to receive unwrapped gifts.  Your contributions will make Christmas a joyous occasion for many children. 

The program will open with the Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Mary Hellmann, Chair of the Department of Music, performing an arrangement of the famous Christmas tune, Carol of the Bells. They will also present a suite from Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker arranged for the ensemble that will assuredly bring back Christmas memories for many. The Jazz Band, under the direction of Dr. Christopher Cook, will perform standard Holiday fare, but in a variety of jazz styles. The Chamber Choir Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Benjamin Thorburn, will also perform some favorite holiday songs.

The second half of the program will present the Christmas Cantata, Sing Joy to All the World!, by Lloyd Larson. This multi-movement, continuous work for chorus, soloists, and instrumental ensemble will be sure to please everyone, and is a glorious celebration of the season. It includes traditional carols, original songs, and readings from the Christmas story. The President of Chowan University, Dr. Kirk Peterson and his wife Rachel, will be joining us as the narrators for the cantata.

This year the Music Department is happy to welcome pianist and alumni, Dejuan Lee, to our faculty; he joins us for this concert, as the pianist for the ensembles. He currently serves as the staff pianist for the department.

The Music Department is able to present this concert with the support of The Friends of Music at Chowan University. Their mission is to strengthen the Department’s work in training musicians, providing study opportunities, serving the university community as well as the public through performances and promoting the department and events by raising funds for operations.

The Chowan University Music Department’s Goals are as follows:

• Establish music scholarships
• Assist students and faculty with the expenses of participating in conferences, auditions, competitions, and tours
• Assist with the acquisition of instructional materials, equipment, and instruments
• Assist with the improvement of facilities
• Fund the performances of guest artists
• Promote/recruit music majors and potential donors
• Assist with publicity

All people who love music and acknowledge its importance in our society are eligible for membership in The Friends of Music at Chowan. Contributions make a significant impact in the Arts at the University and in the community. Please complete a mailer at the concert and we will send you additional information.