Bluefield College will host two Christmas concerts for the community, Thursday, December 2 and Saturday, December 4, featuring the music and drama of seven BC ensembles.
The December 2 performance is the school’s traditional Masterworks Chorale Christmas Concert, and the December 4 show is a musical and theatrical production titled “Christmas at Bluefield.” Both performances, open and free to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Harman Chapel.
Titled “Christmas in the British Isles,” the Masterworks Concert on December 2 will feature the unique flavor, humor, and spirituality of the United Kingdom in both sacred and secular Christmas music written and composed by British, Welsh, and Irish composers.
Composers represented on the Masterworks schedule include John Rutter, Jonathan Willcocks, Benjamin Britten, William Matthias, Philip Stopford, Ian Callanan, and Gustav Holst. Soloists featured on the program will be soprano Ruth Spangler, bass-baritone Jamar Bennett, and mezzo-soprano Amy Carter. Joining the Masterworks voices will be instrumentalists from the Bluefield and Princeton community, including harpist Laurel Thompson.
Under the direction of Dr. Barbara Hudson, assistant professor of music, Masterworks Chorale is a chorus composed of voices from both the college family and the community. The group, which specializes in large-scale musical works and projects, performs classic choral concerts in both the spring and winter seasons.
The musical and theatrical production, “Christmas at Bluefield: Gloria,” on December 4 is Bluefield College’s annual celebration and worship of the Christ child through carols, drama, scripture and candlelight. Known as the college’s Christmas gift to the Greater Bluefield community, “Christmas at Bluefield” features groups and individuals from BC’s Music and Theatre Departments, who provide leadership to the service through musical and dramatic portrayals of the Christmas story.
The performances will feature the music ensembles of The Bluefield Concert Band, Bluefield Singers, Praise Singers, and Variations, along with the drama groups Re:Creations and Ransomed.
Under the direction of Dr. Charles Priest, assistant professor of music, the Bluefield Concert Band is a small company of instrumental musicians on string, woodwind and brass. The Concert Band is one of the music ensembles in the school’s new instrumental music program.
Under the direction of Lisa Moxley, instructor of music, Bluefield Singers performs classical, folk, and contemporary church music. Composed of students from all academic disciplines, the group specializes in contemporary Christian music and also incorporates scenes from Broadway shows into its repertoire.
Praise Singers, under the direction of Susan Allen, instructor of music, is an auditioned vocal ensemble accompanied by a band, which specializes in contemporary Christian music, including praise and worship. Praise Singers tours regularly throughout Virginia and the region, in addition to its annual on-campus performances. In fact, the group has performed in concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City and participated in international music mission trips to Austria, Italy, and the Czech Republic.
Variations, under the direction of Bryant Moxley, assistant professor of music, is an auditioned vocal ensemble that performs a wide variety of sacred music throughout Virginia and other eastern states in addition to its annual on-campus performances. In fact, like Praise Singers, Variations has performed at Carnegie Hall and on mission in Austria, Italy, and the Czech Republic.
Re: Creations is a drama duo comprised of BC theatre professors Charles Reese and Rebecca McCoy-Reese. The two travel internationally with their drama and storytelling ministry. Both also direct the drama ministry Ransomed, featuring BC theatre students who share the Gospel through skits and interpretive scripture reading.
The musical and theatrical celebration of the glory and majesty of Christmas, known as “Christmas at Bluefield,” will be followed by the annual lighting of the Bluefield College Christmas tree.
For more information about the two BC Christmas concerts, email the Office of Public Relations at [email protected].