Cantus Christmas Dec. 21 at RiverCenter
There will be no "Jingle Bells" or "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" performed at this Christmas concert.
"This is serious classical music," William Bullock said.
On Dec. 21 in the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, Cantus Columbus, a local professional chorus, will deliver its 16th annual holiday show, "Cantus Christmas 2015: Message of the Season -- Music of the Masters."
The Christmas story is told but with no narrator. "The music tells the story," said Bullock, the choir's founder and conductor.
The concert is patterned after the late legendary Atlanta Symphony's conductor Robert Shaw's Christmas shows. There are no pauses between the musical numbers and there is no intermission.
Featured are 18 musical pieces, many by master composers such as Gerald Finzi, Paul Manz and Joseph Ebyler.
Included in those numbers are four Christmas carols on which the audience is invited to stand and sing along. "The audience members love it. They feel like part of the choir," Bullock said.
The 25 singers will be accompanied by a 21 musicians. The organist is Jeff McLelland and the pianist is Bullock's wife, Janie Lee.
"We like to mix it up. Last year, we went with brass quintet and this year a string orchestra." Bullock said.
Some of the orchestra members play with the Columbus Symphony.
The singers are: Debbie Anderson, Denise Bernard, Carol Holloway, April Jacobs Johnson, Cindy Rollins, Carrie Beth Wallace, Pam Bailey, Bettie Biggs, Lucy Bowers, Beth Campbell, Allison Ladshaw Freeman, Betty Hipps, Stephany Warnock, Ken Bailey, Ed Biggs, Mark Culpepper, Mark Dermes, Luis Diaz II, James Rashaad Turner, Tomas Bernard, Myron Douglas, Gary Holloway, Adam Mitchell, Chris Waterstratt and Andy White.
The soloists are both experienced opera performers. They are soprano Mary Evelyn Hangley, who maintains a private voice studio on Long Island, N.Y., and baritone Matt Cooksey of Nashville, Tenn., who is currently pursuing a master of music degree at Florida State University.
Bullock recently retired as executive director of the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. Previously, he served as coordinator of music studies and director of choral activities for Columbus State University's Schwob School of Music. Bullock brings 47 years of conducting and administrative experience to his work with Cantus Columbus.
"Choral music is my love. I get joy out of working with dedicated singers to create beautiful classic music," Bullock said.
He began the choir in 2000 and said the name of the group is Latin meaning "Voice of Columbus."
Its first concert was in the spring that year at the Springer Opera House and the first Christmas show was at St. Luke United Methodist Church.
The choir has also performed in LaGrange and Savannah.
Consisting of singers from Columbus and surrounding areas, the chorus is supported by grants, contributions, concert sponsors and ticket sales.
Bullock said all choir members are trained singers who have other jobs and audition for a position.
He said he chose to pay the singers because he wanted members of the ensemble to feel they were valuable and he wanted the feeling of professional commitment.
He also that when people feel like they are coming to work there is better quality. "Every singer puts in a lot of work to make this happen. We only have eight rehearsals. Singers have to learn the music on their own. They can't lean on others. It is a lot of work to make this happen," Bullock said.
Bullock did the arrangements on three of the musical selections.
"I love putting the program together. First of all, I have to find the right pieces of music. I do a lot of research to find the ones that will tell the Christmas story. It is like a jigsaw puzzle," he said.
Bullock said Cantus Columbus is doing something meaningful with this show and he is pleased the response to the shows has been good through the years.
"We are blessed to have been received so well," Bullock said.
Asked the target audience he replied, "anybody who loves classical music."
There will be no "Jingle Bells" or "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" performed at this Christmas concert.
"This is serious classical music," William Bullock said.
On Dec. 21 in the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, Cantus Columbus, a local professional chorus, will deliver its 16th annual holiday show, "Cantus Christmas 2015: Message of the Season -- Music of the Masters."
The Christmas story is told but with no narrator.
"The music tells the story," said Bullock, the choir's founder and conductor.
The concert is patterned after the late legendary Atlanta Symphony's conductor Robert Shaw's Christmas shows. There are no pauses between the musical numbers and there is no intermission.
Featured are 18 musical pieces, many by master composers such as Gerald Finzi, Paul Manz and Joseph Ebyler.
Included in those numbers are four Christmas carols on which the audience is invited to stand and sing along.
"The audience members love it. They feel like part of the choir," Bullock said.
The 25 singers will be accompanied by a 21 musicians. The organist is Jeff McLelland and the pianist is Bullock's wife, Janie Lee.
"We like to mix it up. Last year, we went with brass quintet and this year a string orchestra." Bullock said.
Some of the orchestra members play with the Columbus Symphony.
The singers are: Debbie Anderson, Denise Bernard, Carol Holloway, April Jacobs Jackson, Cindy Rollins, Carrie Beth Wallace, Pam Bailey, Bettie Biggs, Lucy Bowers, Beth Campbell, Allison Ladshaw Freeman, Betty Hipps, Stephany Warnock, Ken Bailey, Ed Biggs, Mark Culpepper, Mark Dermes, Luis Diaz II, James Rashaad Turner, Tomas Bernard, Myron Douglas, Gary Holloway, Adam Mitchell, Chris Waterstratt and Andy White.
The soloists are both experienced opera performers. They are soprano Mary Evelyn Hangley, who maintains a private voice studio on Long Island, N.Y., and baritone Matt Cooksey of Nashville, Tenn., who is currently pursuing a master of music degree at Florida State University.
Bullock recently retired as executive director of the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. Previously, he served as coordinator of music studies and director of choral activities for Columbus State University's Schwob School of Music. Bullock brings 47 years of conducting and administrative experience to his work with Cantus Columbus.
"Choral music is my love. I get joy out of working with dedicated singers to create beautiful classic music," Bullock said.
He began the choir in 2000 and said the name of the group is Latin meaning "Voice of Columbus."
Its first concert was in the spring that year at the Springer Opera House and the first Christmas show was at St. Luke United Methodist Church.
The choir has also performed in LaGrange and Savannah.
Consisting of singers from Columbus and surrounding areas, the chorus is supported by grants, contributions, concert sponsors and ticket sales.
Bullock said all choir members are trained singers who have other jobs and audition for a position.
He said he chose to pay the singers because he wanted members of the ensemble to feel they were valuable and he wanted the feeling of professional commitment.
He also that when people feel like they are coming to work there is better quality.
"Every singer puts in a lot of work to make this happen. We only have eight rehearsals. Singers have to learn the music on their own. They can't lean on others. It is a lot of work to make this happen," Bullock said.
Bullock did the arrangements on three of the musical selections.
"I love putting the program together. First of all, I have to find the right pieces of music. I do a lot of research to find the ones that will tell the Christmas story. It is like a jigsaw puzzle," he said.
Bullock said Cantus Columbus is doing something meaningful with this show and he is pleased the response to the shows has been good through the years.
"We are blessed to have been received so well," Bullock said.
Asked the target audience he replied, "anybody who loves classical music."
This story was originally published November 26, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Cantus Christmas Dec. 21 at RiverCenter ."