Sutton Concert Series Offers Holiday tunes and Opera Scenes in December
(Norman, Okla)— The University of Oklahoma School of Music presents the Sutton Concert Series with the following December performances:
 
OU Combined Choirs performs Christmas at OU at 8 p.m., on Thursday, Dec. 3, in Sharp Concert Hall. The event will involve all four university choirs: University Chorale, under the director of the new Choral Activities Director Richard Zielinski, University Singers, directed by Mark Lucas, University Chamber Singers, under the direction of Steven Curtis and the university's newest ensemble, the Singing Sooners, under the direction of both Zielinski and Lucas. The evening will be filled with familiar Christmas songs, as well as new takes on familiar favorites. Each of the four groups will present several selections on their own, with the evening culminating with all 170 singers in a performance of Craig Courtney's "A Musicological Journey Through the Twelve Days of Christmas.”
 
The fall concert for the Collegium Musicum, an OU ensemble devoted to the performance of early music, performs Opera Scenes by Claudio Monteverdi at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, in the Grayce B. Kerr Gothic Hall. The program will present three scenes from “Orfeo” (1607), the final aria from “Arianna” (1608), a charming trio from “Proserpina rapita” (1630), two scenes from “The Return of Ulysses” (1640) and three scenes from “The Coronation of Poppea” (1643). Soloists include Kristen Jayne, soprano, Jessica Tucker, mezzo-soprano, Tracey Gregg-Boothby, contralto, Ian Gill, tenor, James Miller, baritone and Matt McCarter, bass. A string ensemble led by concertmaster Rebecca Ansel, visiting professor of Violin, will accompany the singers. Also featured will be Jaime Carini, harpsichord, Joe Mueller, cello, and Matt McCoy, recorder.
 
The fourth annual Holiday Pipes at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11, in Sharp Concert Hall. The audience determines the program for the evening as they write their favorite holiday tune request for the organist to play. It's fun for everyone; the audience gets to listen for their request and/or try to stump the organist. Come and hear OU's award-winning organ professor, John Schwandt, create holiday music on the spot on the magnificent Möller Opus 5819 municipal organ. A special rendition of the “12 Days of Christmas” will be sung by one of the many OU Choral ensembles and the audience members can sing-along in a Christmas Carol.
 
All Sutton Series performances are in OU’s Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd, in your OU Arts District! Tickets for Sutton Series events are $8 for adults and $5 for all students, OU faculty/staff and senior adults. For tickets and up-to-date information call the Fine Arts Box Office at (405) 325-4101.
 
Many concerts are scheduled for live stream via Internet, to see a schedule visit http://music.ou.edu/calendar. Please visit http://music.ou.edu/ for a full calendar of events and performances at the School of Music. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please call the Box Office at (405) 325-4101.