Holiday cheer will fill Harlen Adams in annual concert-fundraiser

Chico State's Acappella Choir and Symphonic Band perform at last year's Glorious Sounds of the Season concert. The opening night performance begins 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at Harlen Adams Theatre. Photo courtesy of School of the Arts.

Chico State’s music and theater department will ignite holiday spirit during its fast-paced, joyous three-day concert that has become a seasonal staple in Chico.

“Glorious Sounds of the Season” will open 7:30 p.m. Friday, with a final matinee performance 2 p.m. Sunday.

The fast-paced, 90-minute concert will feature performances from Chico State choral and band ensembles, including University Chorus, Acappella Choir, Chamber Singers, Jazz X-Press and Wind Ensemble, as well as theater students and faculty and community members.

Concert-goers can expect each act to be about 3-5 minutes long, with no delays in-between, said Royce Tevis, Chico State band director.

“The interesting thing about this (concert) is that we go from one piece to another,” Tevis said. “There’s no applauding.”

The concert also doubles as a fundraiser.

All proceeds will fund scholarships, usually no less than $1,000 each, for students in music and theater programs. Though how many the department is able to give depends on how many people purchase tickets.

The performance was founded in 2000 by Tevis, former choir director Jeffrey Gemmell and David Rothe, professor emeritus and organist.

Since the music and theater department merged in 2012, the concert has included a theatrical aspect in the form of short skits, dialogue or story readings.

This year’s concert will also feature its first bottle band, made up of students who blow into bottles filled with varying amounts of liquid to create unique sounds. Tevis said the department is excited to include them in the show.

Most of the performers have been working on their acts the entire semester. Tevis and choir director, David Scholz, have been organizing the material for quite some time to make sure the performance runs smoothly.

“It’s quite a puzzle to put together,” Tevis said, “but it’s a fun puzzle.”

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