Cal Holiday Concert To Be Rebroadcast

Every December, the start of the holiday season can be marked by the Department of Music’s annual concert, “Let Heaven and Nature Sing: A Holiday Tradition,” usually held in a standing-room-only performance in the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values.

Sykes Chapel interior
“This year would have marked the 10th anniversary of this concert in the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values,” said Ryan Hebert, associate professor of music and director of choral studies.

While the concert was not performed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the College of Arts and Letters, with the departments of music, communication, and film, animation and new media, recorded the live show for broadcast on WEDU PBS last year. It will be rebroadcast this year on WEDU on Christmas Eve (Thursday, Dec. 24) at 9 p.m., and on Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25) at 3 p.m. It will also be broadcast on WEDQ on Christmas Day at 10 p.m.

“This year would have marked the 10th anniversary of this concert in the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values,” said Ryan Hebert, associate professor of music and director of choral studies. “While I’m sad that we cannot perform our concert this year, the rebroadcast from last year’s performance gives us hope and something to look forward to in 2021.”

The performance highlights the work of the Chamber Singers and Camerata, under the direction of Hebert. However, the film production was a collaboration of many from the College of Arts and Letters, from the vocal work of the student performers to the creative direction of the production crew and the technical abilities of the post-production team. Students and faculty — almost 20 of them, not counting the performers — worked side-by-side to produce the show.

The concert also included a brass ensemble composed of James Kluesner and Joshua Lurie, trumpets; Brandon McDannald, horn; and Stan Wilkerson, trombone. Pianists Grigorios Zamparas and Corey Merenda and organist Dwight Thomas also performed.

Viewers outside the WEDU broadcast area can watch the performance online.

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