As the holiday season approaches, Central College celebrates with various musical concerts to ring in the season.
The A Cappella Choir, Chamber Singers, Handbell Choir and College-Community Orchestra will perform their annual Christmas Candlelight Concerts at 8 p.m. Dec. 7 and 8 in Douwstra Auditorium. There will be an additional performance at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at Central Presbyterian Church in Des Moines.
The A Cappella Choir and Chamber singers are under the direction of Mark Babcock, associate professor of music.
“I think that of all the music department events of the year, the Candlelight Concerts have the longest standing tradition,” Babcock said. “This is the one thing that we do that draws people from generations to enjoy accessible Christmas music.”
The concerts will include a holiday favorites such as “Come All Ye Faithful,” “Silent Night” and a piece from George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, “Unto Us a Child is Born.”
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students up to age 22 and free with a Central ID. Tickets are available for purchase online, in the Cox-Snow Music Center from 8-5 p.m. Monday-Friday or by phone at 641-628-7520.
The Central College Red and Blue Vocal and Instrumental Combos, under the direction of associate professor of music Gabriel Espinosa, will host their annual Christmas concert, featuring traditional and contemporary Christmas favorites, Nov. 30 in Cox-Snow Recital Hall at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The combos perform songs from pop, rock and jazz genres and are separated into two groups, Red and Blue. The groups perform both together and separately. Each group boasts seven vocalists and is backed by a four-piece band. Instrumentation is guitar, piano, bass and drums.
Advance tickets are available at the information booth in Maytag Student Center or by calling 641-628-9000. Cost is $5. Admission is free with a Central ID.
The Central College Flying Pans Steel Drum Band, directed by Stan Dahl, assistant professor of music, will perform its eighth annual Caribbean Christmas concert Saturday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in Graham Conference Center. The concert will be a fundraiser for the charity Toys for Tots.
“We really believe in the spirit of giving,” said Dahl. “This is a great way for us to help out and give back to Toys for Tots. We always enjoy the concert.”
The band will perform traditional Christmas carols with a Caribbean twist, including “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Silent Night,” “Jingle Bells” and “Carol of the Bells.”
Admission for the event is $5 or a new, unwrapped toy.