A 30-minute reception with wine and cheese will follow the hour-long carols.
Athens will be bringing new sounds to some favorite Christmas carols this weekend.
On Saturday, Ohio University’s School of Music is hosting its second annual winter-themed concert, “The Sounds of Christmas,” at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.
The event was dubbed “The Sounds of Christmas” because of its mixture of vocals and instrumentals provided by organs, trumpets, percussions and hand bells.
Quartets and solos will be featured. There will also be opportunities for audience interaction through sing-alongs.
Performers will consist of six musicians, faculty and students, singing classics such as “Gaudete,” “Joy to the World” and “In the Bleak Midwinter,” in addition to songs of Renaissance, Latin, German and Spanish backgrounds.
A 30-minute reception with wine and cheese will follow the hour-long carols.
Soul Biscuits, a program started by Elizabeth Thompson in 2012, is also hosting the recital.
“The phrase ‘Soul Biscuits’ was chosen because all professors need nourishment to satisfy their hunger to learn more and to connect with like-minded individuals,” Thompson said.
In addition to hosting music performances twice a semester, Soul Biscuits regulates a variety of events such as workshops, discussion groups and humanities outreach.
“Soul Biscuits offers a wide range of programs, for example, a workshop on iconography painting, both of secular and sacred subjects, a recent discussion of happiness and a presentation on Civil War music” she said.
Kyle Berkley, an OU professor of voice, is in charge of organizing the event. His main goal, he said, for this year’s show was gaining a bigger audience through word-of-mouth, posters and social media.
“We had a small crowd (last year), but the people there really enjoyed it,” Berkley said. “This year, it was all about trying to get the word out more than last year, so more could enjoy the experience.”
He also cited the Church of Good Shepherd as one of few churches that hosts musical events in Athens, which helps the audience remember the origins of Christmas.
“A lot of the carols revolve around the birth of Christ, so most of what we are doing has to deal with actual Christmas,” he said. “It’s a good place to have this concert since people can relate because they are in a certain atmosphere where they feel holy.”
Marsha Reilly, church choir director and organist, praised Berkley for improving the structure of the show from 2014.
“I think it’s more organized,” she said. “There’s more of a variety, and the paper program will look better.”
Michaela Jones, a sophomore studying music education with a vocal emphasis, will be singing “What Songs Were Sung.”
She said she is looking forward to performing with friends and colleagues in a church that is secure and intimate.
“I look forward to having a relaxing concert for once,” Jones, a soprano, said. “For 'The Sounds of Christmas' concert, we are still expected to do well but in a safer environment where we don’t need to think about it as much.”
Reilly shares Jones’ enthusiasm going into Saturday’s performance.
“It’s a marvelous variety of singers, styles and periods of music,” she said. “That makes it a good mix and makes a good concert.”
“The overall idea is ‘The Sounds of Christmas’ bringing you back to the past and childhood to discover what Christmas is to some,” Berkley said.
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