MU Music Department offers holiday concerts

The Manchester University Music Department presents two holiday concerts in December. 

The Lessons and Carols worship service will take place at 7 p.m.  Friday, Dec. 3 at Manchester Church of the Brethren, 1306 Beckley St. It features local residents and MU’s A Cappella Choir, Chamber Singers and handbell choir.

Lessons and Carols is an Advent service with lessons and readings depicting scenes from the Christian tradition of Christ’s birth with musical pieces in between. Standard Christmas choral repertoire will be performed.

Admission is free, but freewill donations are being accepted to help defray the cost of the A Cappella Choir tour to New York’s Carnegie Hall in May 2022. 

A Cappella Choir and Chamber Singers are under the direction of Debra Lynn, MU director of choral organizations and vocal studies. Mason Kniola, a junior vocal performance major, will conduct one piece for the A Cappella Choir.

A holiday concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10 in Cordier Auditorium on MU’s North Manchester campus. The concert will feature the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo and Chamber Singers. 

The jazz groups are under the direction of Scott Humphries, director of bands and music education. The groups will perform standard jazz repertoire, holiday songs and traditional carols.

There is no cost for admission. The concert will also be livestreamed on Manchester University’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ManchesterUniv.

Masks are required indoors for both performances.

For the media

There is also a Manchester Symphony Orchestra holiday concert at 3 p.m. Dec. 12 in Cordier. You might want to group all the concert stories. I’m writing that one separately because it is a separate organization. It also has original art by North Manchester and Manchester University’s Jeff Diesburg.

Press release information provided by Jennifer Wagner, student strategic communications assistant.