Merry Christmas to the Holy Land from the Brigham Young University Fall 2008 Semester students.
The Christmas Concert performed by the students, several faculty and one service volunteer (Sue) was enjoyed by the season ticket holders and the local community. Dad and others who didn't sing in the performance were there to greet the guest and had been much help behind the scenes to the success of this program. Our wonderful service couple, Norm and Dorene Squires, where the Director and Pianist/Organist. They are so talented and their love of music came through to each of us as we had our practices and then performed.
The performances were held two nights....Friday was the night for our local Palestinian neighbors and others who could attend and Sunday night the Israeli communities and others and it turned out that there were no empty seats. The tradition here for an encore is not a standing ovation but a continuous clapping of the hands in unison. The students loved it.
The program was divided between traditional songs about the birth of our Savior, then several seasonal songs and a rousing rendition of the traditional Jewish favorite,"Hanukkah", which was not sung on Friday night but on Sunday night after which there was cheering and a long and loud clapping in unison. The closing songs where a beautiful trumpet trio of "Jerusalem", and two choral numbers with organ from "The Messiah",
"The Hallelujah Chorus" and "The Glory of the Lord".
The following are just short audio's from several numbers ....enjoy!
"Monotone Angel", a cute song about an Angel who wants to be in the Christmas Choir
"Jerusalem" ...a trumpet trio. They stood at the back of the auditorium by the Organ....
with the lights turned down low the audience could enjoy the view of Jerusalem at night.
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