Holiday Extravaganza set for Dec. 6-7 at Bridgewater College

Bridgewater College will present a Holiday Extravaganza of familiar Christmas carols at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, and at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. Both performances will be in the Concert Hall in the Carter Center for Worship and Music.

The extravaganza includes the Symphonic Band and the Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Christine Carrillo, associate professor of music and director of instrumental music at Bridgewater College.

Among the pieces the Jazz Ensemble will perform are “Jazzin’ the World,” arranged by Victor Lopez, and “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano, arranged by Paul Murtha.

The Symphonic Band will perform “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24,” by Paul O’Neill and Robert Kinkel, arranged by Bob Phillips and George Megaw, “Minor Alterations: Christmas through the Looking Glass” by David Lovrien,” and “Sleigh Ride,” by Leroy Anderson.

The Chorale and the Concert Choir will perform under the direction of Curtis Nolley, visiting director of choral music at Bridgewater. Lacey Johnson, instructor of music at the college, will accompany the Chorale and the Concert Choir on piano.

Among the pieces the Concert Choir will perform are “O Yule Full of Gladness,” a Catalonian carol, arranged by Carolyn Jennings, “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks,” by Craig Courtney, and “Deck the Hall,” a traditional carol arranged by Chad Weirick.

The Chorale will present “Sing We Now of Christmas,” a French carol, arranged by Audrey Snyder, “Softly” by Will Todd, and “Carol of the Bells” by Mykola Leontovych, arranged by Peter Wilhousky.

Friday’s program will include a flute choir, a percussion ensemble, a saxophone quartet and Chordially Yours, a female a cappella choir.

Saturday’s program will include the Gospel Choir, Chamber Strings, a trumpet ensemble, a guitar ensemble and A Cappella Fellas, a men’s a cappella choir.

The concerts are free and open to the public. Immediately following each concert, a reception will be held in the Stone Prayer Chapel.

Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to nearly 1,800 undergraduate students.