'Tis the Season for Song

The Westmont College Choir, the Westmont Chamber Singers and the Vox Lumina Women’s Chorale present “The Singing Season,” the annual Christmas Choral concert, 8 p.m. Dec. 6 and 7 at Trinity Episcopal Church. Admission is free, but a goodwill offering will be taken. Trinity Episcopal is located at 1500 State St., at the corner of State and Micheltorena streets.

The Westmont College Choir, under the direction of Steven Hodson, will present the opening chorus of J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, former Kings’-Singer Bob Chilcott’s lush setting “The Shepherd’s Carol,” an early-American carol by the 17th-century Boston composer William Billings, and Mack Wilberg’s rousing arrangement of “Masters of this Hall”.

The Westmont Chamber Singers, directed by Grey Brothers, will offer a mix of classics and new pieces. From the traditional repertoire, the singers will perform the English carol, “I Saw Three Ships,” as well as two arrangements of Christmas hymns from the southern shape note tradition. The performance will also feature a recent setting of the medieval carol “Adam lay y-bounden.” Other new works include Alan Bullard’s “Angel Alleluias” and “Rejoice,” a recent composition by Westmont composer and assistant music professor Steve Butler.

The Vox Lumina Women’s Chorale, under the direction of Marilee Mouser, will explore the joys of Christmas found in images of the holidays such as children’s faces, cold and frosty mornings, angels appearing before shepherds and a lullaby sung to the Christ child. The performance will explore these beautiful images through the finest of music composed for the Christmas season.

For more information, contact the Westmont music office, (805) 565-6040 or the office of public affairs, 565-7057.