University Chorale to present holiday concert

The University Chorale will perform a holiday concert on Monday, Dec. 2, under the direction of guest conductor Ginger Wyrick. The program features selections from Handel’s “Messiah” including the ever-popular “Hallelujah” chorus.

The concert will open with four short works by British composers, three from the late Renaissance (Thomas Morley, Thomas Tallis and William Byrd) and one composer of today (Eric Whitacre). Following the five selections from “Messiah,” the chorus will perform Jester Hairston’s calypso-flavored carol, “Mary’s Little Boy Child,” made famous by Harry Belafonte. Arrangements of “African Noel” and the traditional Sierra Leonean song, “Maringa Krismes,” close the program.

The University Chorale is the Music Department’s most prestigious chorus, open through audition to all UNC Charlotte students with choral experience. It is led by Randy Haldeman, director of choral studies and professor of choral and music education, and performs on campus and in the Charlotte community multiple times a year. In July, the University Chorale traveled to Italy to perform in Rome, Venice, and the Italian Riviera.

The Dec. 2 concert, which starts at 7:30 p.m., will be in the Belk Theater, Robinson Hall. Tickets are $8. CoA+A majors receive one complimentary ticket via the 49erArtsLink program.