Choirs, orchestra to offer concert at Orpheum

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Dec. 06, 2007

Briar Cliff University's music department will present "Christmas at the Orpheum: Gloria!" a program of seasonal music at 8 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City.

"We have moved Christmas at the Cathedral to the Orpheum," said Sister Mary Day, OSF, music department chair at Briar Cliff. "It is the same concept of the large choir and orchestra. It is the same collaborative, ecumenical project of multiple organizations coming together."

More than 250 musicians representing the Briar Cliff University Choirs, First Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir, Nebraska Children's Chorus Bel Canto, Sioux Center Concert Choir and Sioux City Symphony Orchestra will join together to present this Christmas concert.

"We have not asked an out of town choir to come before - Sioux Center Concert Choir," said Sister Mary. "It is the first time also that we have asked the Nebraska Children's Chorus Bel Canto. We wanted to retain the ecumenical nature of the project and in doing so we have brought in these choirs."

Sean Burton, director of choral activities at the university, will serve as artistic director for the concert. Burton will share conducting responsibilities with Norm Grimm, director of choral activities at Sioux Center Community Schools, Sioux Center; and Jill Wilson, chancel choir director at First Presbyterian Church, Sioux City.

"Fundamentally, what we are trying to do is recognize that the whole Christmas holiday is a time of celebration and rejoicing," said Burton. "We are offering something to the community that will uplift them and will offer them a lot of traditional music."

Richard Steinbach, Briar Cliff University professor of music and concert pianist, will be a featured soloist.

"Richard is an extremely talented person right here in Sioux City, who plays all over the world - China, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, South America," said Burton. "Since we have someone like that in Sioux City we felt that it was good to have him come and play."

The concert will begin with a fully orchestrated "O'Come All Ye Faithful" that was arranged by Mack Wilberg for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The program will also include a cappella choral, orchestral, concerto and choral-orchestral pieces by composers Randol Alan Bass, George Chadwick, Felix Mendelssohn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and John Rutter.

"It is a potpourri of music for both chorus and orchestra and combined chorus and orchestra," said Burton. "What is truly unique about this program is that we will have a massive conglomerate of choirs as well as a 48-piece orchestra. We all will perform separately and together, so the audience will hear a wide variety of music."

Audience participation will be invited during several Christmas carols accompanied by full orchestra.

"This is a really exciting and invigorating program. There is quiet music, too, but it is really an uplifting and intentionally positive experience to be festive and joyful," said Burton.

The concert will end with all the choirs combining to sing Randol Bass' "Gloria."

"Gloria is a well-established sense of Christmas," said Sister Mary. "The angels sang Gloria to God in the highest."

Tickets for "Christmas at the Orpheum: Gloria!" are $10 for adults and $8 for senior citizens and students and can be purchased by calling Briar Cliff University at (712) 279-5417, First Presbyterian Church at (712) 255-8919 or Sioux Center Community Schools at (712) 722-2985