Here we go!

This weekend starts the craziness that is the Nashville Children's Choir holiday schedule.

First, a wedding on November 10th.

During the holidays, the NCC is frequently called upon to perform for wedding ceremonies in the Nashville area.  They perform a version of Transiberian Orchestra Christmas Canon, and instead of the words "Merry Christmas" they sing "Alleluia".   Here is the Pachbel's Canon portion that I found on YouTube...the lyrics start about a minute in.  Beautiful:

Here is the venue for the wedding--Belmont United Methodist Church. 

Then, November 19th, Hodie Oratorio Performance at McAfee Concert Hall:

Belmont University's Oratorio is a large mixed choir of 200 voices which performs major choral works with the orchestra.  Several months ago the girls both auditioned for a special chamber choir that would sing with Belmont's Oratorio.  The piece is a haunting narration of the Birth of Messiah, and will be something extraordinary in the new concert hall.  My mom is going to be able to attend this performance when she comes down for Thanksgiving, which we are all very happy about. 

This is the McAfee Concert Hall venue.  This place has been called "a little Schermerhorn", Nashville's larger and well known symphony hall. 

December 1st and 2nd--Christmas at Belmont Performance

This is the performance that, oddly enough, is harder to get tickets to than anything else in the Nashville music scene. Christmas at Belmont 2012 will feature a variety of Belmont School of Music student ensembles and mass choir performances (like NCC) that highlight the musical diversity of Belmont students. Usually held at the Schermerhorn and broadcast nationally every other year, this year it will be held at the McAfee Concert Hall.  A little snippet of last year's performance of several group numbers can be found HERE.

December 4th--Moo's Violin Recital 

Separate from NCC, violin is still an important part of our eldest's music education.  She will be performing Martini Gavotte.  Count on pictures and video to follow. :)

 December 7--Nashville Children's Choir Holiday Concert

This will be a long afternoon and evening of two separate concert performances, to allow for the large number of folks that enjoy coming out to hear the NCC this time of year.  This is the concert that parents look forward to hearing all that their choristers have been working on since July.  NCC has four separate choirs: Preparatory, Concert, Touring and Youth.  Tonight is the night to hear them all individually and combined.  This will also be held at McAfee, which only holds about 850 people, so seating would be too tight to hold just one concert.  

These are just the performance dates.  If I listed all the rehearsals and dress rehearsals, this would be a much longer post!  Suffice it to say, that we are busy, busy, busy!  

January 4th & 5th--NCC's "January Jubilee"

This is the NCC overnight where the choristers receive their new music for their spring semester and tour.  They two day retreat offers an intensive time of practice...and a whole lot of fun.
 

I think we get to breathe the second week of May after our return from the NCC San Diego tour!  Shwew!