Merced College chorale to present holiday concert

Haunting melodies and toe-tapping favorites will be featured this weekend at Merced College Chorale’s annual holiday concert, “Christmas Classics and Carols.”

“Many of our audience members, who come year after year, consider this their unofficial start to the holidays,” conductor Curtis Nelson said. “We fill the stage with singers and instrumentalists – barely room for over 100 plus piano and instruments – and then, with the wonderful lighting and multimedia, create a tremendous celebration of the holiday spirit.”

The Merced College Chorale draws from both college students and community singers for its membership. Two separate sections of the choral group meet throughout the term, each working on identical repertoire, and then come together for a series of joint rehearsals before joining voices on stage as one ensemble.

“It’s amazing how everything, two vocal ensembles and one instrumental ensemble, all comes together in a couple of sessions during the final weeks,” Nelson said. “It gives us great joy to share this final product with our Merced area community.”

The concert will be held at Merced College Theater this weekend with three performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Soprano Stephanie Rogers said she loves being on stage and feeling the musical and emotional connection with the other members during the performance.

“I think people will enjoy this concert because they will walk out of the theater smiling and moved by the variety of songs for the holiday season,” she said. The concert has an energetic jazz arrangement of “Deck the Halls”; “There is Faint Music,” a serene lullaby; and an a cappella song, “O Magnum Mysterium,” with stunning dynamics and movement. The fast-paced “Sleigh Bells” will have the audience “tapping their feet,” Rogers said.

Soprano Chelsea King said she loved learning new techniques while having fun by performing with the chorale.

“Being a part of the Merced College Chorale has been quite the amazing experience,” she said. “I’ve always loved singing and enjoying whatever I perform, but this was just top shelf. Top shelf! It’s been a very welcoming and encouraging time for me. For the concert, people should expect some beautiful and haunting melodies and some fun ones. I feel everyone in the theater will enjoy themselves and each other. We certainly do.”

Keegen McKenna, 19, has participated in the Merced College Choir for two semesters.

“Singing in the choir has been a great growing experience for me,” McKenna said. “I find myself leagues ahead of where I started last semester. ... It is truly wonderful to be a part of something great I could never do on my own, but joining with members of this community, and with professor Nelson’s skill at his craft, I can be a part of something truly spectacular and share it with my community.”

This story was originally published December 4, 2014 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Merced College chorale to present holiday concert."