On Sunday, Dec. 6, the Newman University Music Department will present its annual Christmas concert. This year it is titled, “The Magic of Christmas,” and is expected to be a great start to the holiday season.
The show will be presented at 3 p.m., in Performance Hall inside the De Mattias Fine Arts Center. The box office opens a 2 p.m., and the house opens at 2:30. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students (college age and below), and free for Newman students with their student ID. Tickets are only available at the door. Limited seating is available.
This concert is a Newman Christmas tradition, and will feature a blend of classic carols like “O Come Emmanuel” and “White Christmas” with upbeat contemporary songs like “This Christmas,” “The Holly and the Ivy,” and “White Winter Hymnal.” All are designed to celebrate the magic of Christmas.
Every year the Music Department and Director of Music Deanne Zogleman invite guest vocalists to harmonize with the Newman choirs. This year, two high school choirs join in the tradition and merriment: the Clearwater High School Blue Notes and the Cheney High School Advanced Choir.
“I am thrilled we have two high schools joining us to share their talent and hopefully decide that they would like to be part of this music department,” Zogleman said.
Not only is this a Christmas tradition, but is also a great recruiting opportunity for future singing Jets. Two alums of Clearwater High School who currently attend Newman are Jacob Hobbie and Alyssa Blakley, who have hopes other Clearwater students make the same choice they did.
Hobbie, a sophomore IT major, shared that he grew up in Clearwater.
“I lived there my entire life,” Hobbie said. “I chose to go to Newman because of the scholarship but also because the IT program was focused and growing. Plus, I wanted to go to a small school where I felt people and administration actually cared.”
Blakley, a junior biology major with an interest in pre-med, said she went to Clearwater High School all four years.
“I was in choir all four years,” Blakely said. “I actually chose Newman because of Rebekah Mumford [A Clearwater alum, current Newman student and Newman University Troubadour]. She told me about Newman and I was like, ‘Hey! Why not? They have an awesome acceptance rate for medical school and I’ve known Mrs. Zogleman as a choreographer for Clearwater!’ I also knew the Newman Chorale was a great choir.”
Hobbie said singing in the Newman Chorale gives him a much-needed break from other school work.
“Singing in this concert means a lot,” he said. “I’m working all the time with an internship at Koch and classes, so I can’t participate in the arts as much as I used to, but I can always find time for choir. It’s a time in my day where I actually feel relaxed because I’m around a bunch of people that are just having fun singing.”
Blakely agrees.
“Singing in the chorale gives me a nice little break from all my science classes. and it’s always guaranteed to be a fun time,” she said.
Blakley added that she hopes as an alum of Clearwater she can recruit some former classmates to join her in song.
“It’s nice to see people that I was in choir with in high school take their singing talent to a higher level by singing in a collegiate choir,” Blakely said.
Hobbie, Blakley, and the rest of the Newman Music Department get a chance to share the stage with Clearwater and Andale when the choirs join their voices as one to sing Zogleman’s personal Christmas tradition, a rousing rendition of, “O Holy Night,” which is the closing number for every Newman Christmas concert.
“It’s my favorite part every year – to hear so many talented voices singing my favorite Christmas song and to know that we are able to emotionally convey to the audience the reason for the season,” she said.
Immediately following the performance there will be a reception and some caroling in the Gorges Atrium.
