Community Christmas Celebration

State College Choral Society (and Friends)

Format: Audio CD
Recorded at Eisenhower Auditorium, Penn State University, University Park Campus

The State College Choral Society, directed by Dr. Russell Shelley, has been presenting community Christmas concerts for many years. This CD is a recording of the concert from December 13, 2008.

Guests

In addition to the SCCS, you'll hear songs by guest organizations from around Centre County, Pennsylvania:

• Essence 2 [Penn State]
• Centre County High School Chamber Honor Choir
• Choir from Mount Nittany Middle School
• Choir from Park Forest Middle School
• State College Community Handbell Choir
• Penn State Graduate Brass

Contents:

1. Sing We Now of Christmas — French carol, arr. Kevin McChesney
   - Handbell Choir [1:42]
    
2. Go Tell It on the Mountain — arr. Shawn Kirchner
   - All Ensmebles; Kevin Supina, soprano saxophone; Neal Holter, bass [3:24]
    
3. Seasonal Selection
   - Penn State Graduate Brass [3:21]
    
4. Caroling, Caroling — Alfred Burt & Wihla Huston, arr. Hawley Ades
   - SC Choral Society [1:31]
    
5. Do You Hear What I Hear? — Noel Raney & Gloria Shayne, arr. Harry Simeone
   - Combined Middle School Choirs [2:45]
    
6. Sleigh Ride — Leroy Anderson, arr. R. Ivey
   - SC Choral Society [3:51]
    
7. Lo! How A Rose E'er Blooming — arr. Joel Raney
   - Handbell Choir [5:46]
    
8. O Holy Night — Adolphe Adam
   - Adrienne Knauer, harp [2:35]
    
9. What Sweeter Music — John Rutter
   - Adrienne Knauer, harp [4:08]
    
10. Hodie Christus natus est — Healey Willan
    - High School Honor Choir [1:31]
     
11. Hallelujah Chorus from The Soulful Messiah — arr. Wendell W. Woods
    - SC Choral Society [5:02]
     
12. The Birth of a Promise — Diane White
    - Essence 2; Amanda Silliker, soprano [7:13]
     
13. Seasonal Selection
    - Penn State Graduate Brass [2:27]
     
14. Seasonal Selection
    - Penn State Graduate Brass [1:51]
     
15. Gloria: First Movement — John Rutter
    - SC Choral Society [5:52]
     
16. Christmas Cantata: Final Movement — Daniel Pinkham
    - SC Choral Society; Mary Bahnfleth, organ [2:49]
     
17. True Light — Keith Hampton
    - SC Choral Society; Neal Holter, bass; Darrin Thorton, percussion [4:03]
     
18. Silent Night — Franz Gruber, arr. Malcolm Sergent
    - SC Choral Sociey & Essence 2 [3:28]
     
19. Audience Sing: O Come, All Ye Faithful — John Wade
    - All [3:54]
     
20. Joy to the World — arr. Shawn Kirchner
    - All Ensembles [7:05]
     

The total playing time of the disk is 74:28.

Choir directors:

State College Choral Society: Russell Shelley

Essence 2: Anthony Leach

Centre County High School Chamber Honors Choir: Norene Ferris

Mount Nittany Middle School Choirs: Margaret Schutes, Samuel Rocco, Kristin Patchen

Park Forest Middle School Choirs: Susan Kleinert, Molly McAninch, Amy Myers

State College Community Handbell Choir: Russell Bloom, Gail Ritchey

State College Choral Society

In December of 1948, the State College Choral Society was merely a gleam in the eyes of a 35-member Women's Club chorus in State College, PA. Since then, that gleem has developed into 66 years of beautiful music.

The Music Section of the Women's Club invited men to join them for a performance of Bach's B minor Mass, and the State College Choral Society was born. Through the years, the chorus has presented an impressive number of full-length classical works.

Today, with approximately 140 members, the State College Choral Society (SCCS) is the largest choral group to perform a classical repertoire in central Pennsylvania. The group seeks to offer singing opportunities and concert experiences to individuals and audiences throughout the region. Vocalists from towns far and wide gather in State College each Monday night to prepare for winter and spring concerts and occasional December Messiah performances that benefit local charities. SCCS often collaborates with fellow community music groups, including the Nittany Valley Symphony, Nittany Valley Children's Choir, and Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra.

In 2004, SCCS commissioned a full-length choral work for the first time, Voices of the Holocaust, based on the creative vision of Choral Society bass Phil Klein and arranged by a talented young composer, Sheridan Seyfried. The work premiered on November 14, 2004, and was concurrent with a larger commemoration of the survivors and victims of the Holocaust, including a survivor's panel discussion, speaker series, art exhibit, essay content, and high school honors choir that joined SCCS for the performance. Since that first tremendously inspiring and successful performance, Voices has been performed four times, including twice in South America.