The Chattanooga Boys Choir Singing Christmas Tree, one of Chattanooga’s longest-running holiday traditions, will be held on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Tivoli Theater, with shows at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The program will include more than 140 members of the organization’s five component choirs, as well as gust artists from the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Youth Orchestra (Gary Wilkes, director) and Ballet Tennessee (Barry and Anna van Cura, directors). In all, the stage will be graced with over 200 young people providing a display of holiday music and dance for all ages to enjoy.
This theme of this year’s Singing Christmas Tree is “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and will feature a special guest appearance by local television personality Marcia Kling. Ms. Kling is the former host of WTVT’s Funtime and Romper Room (as “Miss Marcia”), and was recently named 2008 Tennessee Woman of Distinction by the American Lung Association of Tennessee.
Music performed by the boys will feature a number of traditional carols, holiday music from around the world, and several holiday favorites. Included on the program will be John Rutter’s “Angel’s Carol,” “Personent Hodie” by Lara Hoggard, Andre Thomas’ arrangement of”African Noel,” excerpts from Handel’s Messiah, and “Christmastime” by Michael W. Smith. In addiiton, settings of traditional Jewish songs, inlcuding “Sh’ma Yisrael” and “Bidi Bom” will be performed in their original Hebrew language. The choir will perform the world premiere of the song “Birthday of a King” by composer Ken Berg. Berg, Aristic Director of the Birmingham Boys Choir, wrote this piece especially for the Chattanooga Boys Choir, and dedicated it to Brandon Oakes, son of CBC Artistic Director Vincent Oakes who was born earlier this year.
The Singing Christmas Tree program will also feature several holiday favorites including “The Chipmunk Song” (“Please Christmas, Don’t Be Late”), “Up on the Housetop,” and “White Christmas.” Several of these songs will be sung while Ms. Kling narrates the famous “Twas the Night Before Christmas” poem by Clement Clarke Moore. Other songs such as “Toyland,” “It’s Jolly Santa Claus,” and “Here Comes Santa Claus” will be included as Ms. Kling recalls this most cherished holiday story.
The Singing Christmas Tree will be the signature holiday performance of the Chattanooga Boys Choir this season. Other holiday performances by the choir will take place at the Palace Theater in Crossville on Dec. 14 and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Chattanooga) on Dec. 17. Additionally, the choir can also be heard on the newly released Christmas album entitled Peace on Earth by Grammy and Dove award winning contemporary artists Casting Crowns. This album, which was released Oct. 7, features the choir on the song “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” and was recorded in June while the choir was rehearsing for its summer tour through Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana.
Chattanooga Boys Choir Artistic Director Vincent Oakes said, “I am looking forward to the added fun and depth that Ms. Kling will bring to the Singing Christmas Tree program this year. In addition to the beautiful music, seeing over 200 young people engaged in such an impressive and wonderful program will be sure to lift the spirits of anyone in attendance. The choir has premiered several new works and arrangements over the last few years, but this truly beautiful piece is especially significant because of the personal connection the choir has with Mr. Berg and his choir.”
All seats are $11. Tickets are available through Memorial Auditorium Box Office and at www.chattanoogaonstage.com. For more information call 622-3033 or email info@cbchoir.org.