WT’s ‘Music of the Christmas Season’ to Incorporate Aerial Dancers, Orchestra, Choirs

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - Strings and voices won't be the only things soaring at West Texas A&M University's annual "Music of the Christmas Season" concert.

WT Dance students will take the theme of this year's concert-"Walking in the Air"-quite literally in performances set for 4 and 7 p.m. Dec. 8 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on WT's Canyon campus.

Utilizing aerial silks, dancers will soar over the orchestra; additional dancers will perform at the foot of the stage.

The performances also will feature the WT Symphony Orchestra, the WT Chorale, the WT Collegiate Choirs, all from WT's School of Music, as well as Tascosa High School's Les Chanteurs.

Tickets for the perennially popular event are sold out, but the concert will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Dec. 24 and 9 p.m. Dec. 25 on Panhandle PBS. Following that, the concert can be viewed on the WT School of Music's YouTube page.

"Crystal Bertrand, WT Dance program director, has been eager to collaborate with us for this concert for some time, but with the orchestra and combined choirs, we had no room on the stage," said Dr. Mark Bartley, associate dean of the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts, WT's Lilith Brainard Professor of Music and director of orchestral activities. "But this year, she said, 'How about above it?'"

Four dancers will offer an acrobatic showcase above the orchestra during three numbers: the first movement of Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," Howard Blake's "Walking in the Air" and Alan Silvestri's Suite from "The Polar Express." An additional dozen dancers also will perform.

This is such a highlight for us. We are so grateful for the School of Music and the opportunity for dancers to develop this new skill," Bertrand said. "It has required consistent effort, discipline and athleticism. Performing alongside and hearing the vibrancy of the live musicians is just captivating for our dancers."

The concert also will feature a mix of holiday classics, sacred works and popular hits, including "Christmas Time Is Here," "Joy to the World," "Go Tell It on the Mountain" and more.

"It's going to be spectacular," Bartley said. "The aerial silks add a stunning visual element that's as athletic as it is artistic. We'll have 200-plus artists, all performing at their peak."

"Music of the Christmas Season" is just one of the holiday events planned in coming days at WT and in Canyon.

President Walter V. and Mary Wendler will host a community reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Dec. 4 in Legacy Hall inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center. Immediately following, the campus will be officially lit during the Festival of Lights celebration around the Buffalo Fountain on the Charles K. and Barbara Kerr Vaughan Pedestrian Mall in the heart of the WT campus.

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum's Christmas Open House will run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 7, and Canyon Chamber of Commerce's Christmas in Canyon events will kick off at 4 p.m. Dec. 7, including the Parade of Lights at 6:30 p.m. around the downtown square, followed by the lighting of the Canyon Christmas tree.

Finally, the WT Chamber Singers will offer a Christmas concert at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 in Northen Recital Hall. Admission is free.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts and a strong relationship to the community are critical components of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign's new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 58 undergraduate degree programs, one associate degree, and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest's finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men's and women's athletics programs.

Photo: West Texas A&M University's "Music of the Christmas Season: Walking in the Air" will be broadcast Dec. 24 and 25 on Panhandle PBS following sold-out live performances Dec. 8.

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