O Come All Ye Carolers to CCM's 'Feast of Carols' Dec. 2 and 3

Ring in the holidays Dec. 2 & 3 with the annual

Feast of Carols

at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). The festivities include yuletide favorites performed by CCM choral ensembles, Concert Orchestra and several of the tri-state region's outstanding high school and community choirs, in addition to an audience carol sing-a-long with CCM's mighty Harrison pipe organ. Performances take place Saturday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. in Corbett Auditorium on the University of Cincinnati campus.

Feast of Carols fills CCM with classic and contemporary sounds of the season as conductors Earl Rivers, Richard Sparks, Brett Stewart, Robert Vance, Robyn Lana, Kathleen Maguire and Kelly Ann Westgate invite audiences to sing along to treasured holiday carols. The full Concert Orchestra and the 200 voices of the CCM Chamber Choir, Chorale, University Men's & Women's Choruses and additional guest choirs (see below) join for a spectacular finale, "The Many Moods of Christmas Suite II," arranged by Robert Shaw and Robert Bennett.

"Bringing outstanding local high school choirs to perform at CCM's Feast of Carols allows audiences to experience the wide range, depth and diversity of talent from our own community," says Rivers, director of choral studies at CCM.

The featured guest choirs on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. are:
* Walnut Hills High School Senior Choir, Lisa Peters, director
* Cincinnati Children's Choir Preparatory Choir, Kelly Ann Westgate, director
* Cincinnati Children's Choir Lyric Choir, Robyn Lana, director

The Sunday, Dec. 3, 2 p.m. concert features:
* Turpin High School Mixed Chorus, Julie Dima, director
* Cincinnati Children's Choir Jubilate Choir, Kathleen Maguire, director
* Cincinnati Children's Choir Bel Canto Choir, Robyn Lana, director

This impressive festival of choirs will conclude Sunday, Dec. 3 at 5 p.m. with:
* Indian Hill High School Premieres, Deborah Centers, director
* West Clermont Institute of Performing Arts Choir at Glen Este High School, Jeffrey Riel, director
* Cincinnati Children's Choir Girl Choir, Kelly Ann Westgate, director

Ticket & Parking Information
Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for non-UC students and free for UC students with a valid ID. Parking is available in the CCM Garage at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue and garages throughout the UC campus. For tickets or information, call 513-556-4183 or for more information visit www.ccm.uc.edu.

Earl Rivers
As director of Choral Studies, Earl Rivers oversees one of the country's outstanding graduate choral conducting programs. He is in his 19th season as music director and conductor of the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati (VAE), the city's premier professional 24-voice chamber choir that celebrated its 25th Anniversary Season in 2004-05. He and VAE have received two ASCAP Awards for Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music. He has been honored in Cincinnati with a special Post-Corbett Award for outstanding artistic achievements with the VAE, and in June 2004 he was the recipient of Chorus America's Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Choral Art, honoring a lifetime of significant contributions to the profession of choral art. As director of music at Hyde Park's Knox Presbyterian Church, his Knox Music Program has been cited by Cincinnati Magazine as the "Best Church Music in Cincinnati." Rivers serves on the board of directors of Chorus America, the national service organization for professional, volunteer, symphony/opera and children's choirs. In May 2005 he hosted Chorus America's Conducting Workshop for Choral and Orchestral Conductors at CCM.

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University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music presents
FEAST OF CAROLS

Performance dates & times:
Saturday, Dec. 2, 5 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 3, 2 & 5 p.m.

Location:
Corbett Auditorium, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

Tickets:
$10 general admission, $5 students, UC students FREE with valid ID

To order:
Call 513-556-4183 or visit www.ccm.uc.edu.