Published: December 19, 2019
Popular Holiday Concert to be Broadcast on WEDU PBS Starting This Week
The renowned University of Tampa Holiday Concert “Let Heaven and Nature Sing: A Holiday Tradition,” which was performed live twice in front of standing-room only crowds on Dec. 8, will for the first time be broadcast by WEDU PBS on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 8 p.m. and on Christmas Eve (Tuesday, Dec. 24) at 9 p.m. It will also be broadcast on WEDQ on Monday, Dec. 23, at 7 p.m.
This special concert was recorded by UT students and faculty in the College of Arts and Letters, bringing the magic of the holidays on campus into Tampa Bay residents’ homes.
The concert, which is part of the Damron Concert Artist Series and is set annually in the University’s Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values, is a Tampa Bay holiday tradition featuring University of Tampa music students and faculty performing a variety of holiday classics.
This special concert was recorded by UT students and faculty in the College of Arts and Letters, bringing the magic of the holidays on campus into Tampa Bay residents’ homes. The production team recorded footage at two rehearsals, as well as at the live performances.
Under the backdrop of the 3,184-pipe organ, the performance included pieces by the University’s Chamber Singers and Camerata, under the direction of Ryan Hebert, associate professor of music and director of UT’s choral studies. The concert also included a brass ensemble comprised of James Kluesner and Joshua Lurie, trumpets; Brandon McDannald, horn; and Stan Wilkerson, trombone. Pianists Grigorios Zamparas and Corey Merenda, and organist Dwight Thomas also performed.
“The holiday concert is the highlight of the semester,” said Hebert, who also serves as university organist. “Even though it’s a holiday concert, it’s a wonderful way for us as artists to express how we can respond to trying times.”
For more information, contact sykeschapelconcerts@ut.edu or visit Sykes Chapel. Read a story about the production.
