University of Virginia Library

Christmas Spirit Comes With Glee

By ANDY BALLENTINE

Friday night will find Old
Cabell Hall decked with boughs
of holly and candlelight as the
University of Virginia Glee
Club presents its annual
Christmas concert.

Glee Club director Donald
Loach will lead the 70 voice
group in a performance packed
with both popular and classical
music, emphasizing the
concert's theme of "the word
made flesh." In addition to
familiar advent and Christmas
songs, the Glee Club will sing
compositions by Schubert, and
Poulenc, whose "Prayers of St.
Francis of Assisi" may be the
night's most rewarding
offering.

A piece by William Byrd,
four madrigals by David
Krachenbuchl, and a
"Magnificat" by the
17-century composer Samuel
Scheidt will also entice those in
attendance. Capping the
performance will be James
Richardson and The Virginia
Gentlemen who will change the
pace and bring three medieval
Spanish carols to life this
Christmas season.

The Twelve Days of
Christmas will be a sing-along,
featuring the audience as an
impromptu choir under the
expert direction of Mr. Loach.
Hopefully, those in attendance
will show more talent than
exhibited last year, when even
Mr. Loach's ability could not
save them.

Annually, the Glee Club
ushers in the Christmas season
in grand style and this year's
concert promises to be no
exception. Keeping with
tradition, the concert will be
sponsored by local businesses
as a public service and no
admission will be charged.

Concert attendance reflects
the Glee Club's refined, yet
joyful and lively appeal. Due to

last year's large turnout, two
performances will be offered,
at 8 p.m. and at 10:30 p.m. A
Young People's concert will be
given Saturday morning at 11.