Why go all the way to New York City when Christmas festivities are right around the corner from Seton Hall?
The Seton Hall Orchestra will be playing outside its usual venue of Jubilee Hall for the first time, and expanding its horizons to the South Orange Performing Arts Center. The Orchestra will perform tonight at 7 p.m.
"It's our first step out into the community," Professor Murray Colosimo, the orchestra's conductor, said. "It's attracted a lot of attention."
Colosimo and Dr. Dena Levine, associate professor of music, started the orchestra three years ago. Prior to its formation, there was only choir, pep band and jazz ensemble available to students. Founded with seven other musicians, the orchestra has now increased to approximately 35 members from a variety of different academic backgrounds and is an extra-curricular as well as a course for credit.
"We're grateful to the Seton Hall administration for their support," Levine said.
For their winter concert, the orchestra will be performing music from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" and Mannheim Steamroller's version of "Silent Night." The orchestra will also collaborate with Seton Hall's choir to sing and play Handel's "Hallelujah."
"Everyone's wonderful to work with," choir director Jason Tramm said. "The students are really excited."
With the concert fast approaching, members of the choir are enthusiastic. For freshmen Mary Meg Donnelly and Edwin Kindler, this will be a new experience as it is their first concert singing with choir.
"I really like it," Donnelly said of singing in the choir. "It's really nice because of the many (musical) styles we do."
"This is my first time in a choir," Kindler said. "I enjoy working with the people, and the director's really cool."
The choir will be doing selections from African, gospel, Christmas and British genres. According to the SOPAC website, the orchestra and choir will be playing to a full house, and there is currently a waiting list for tickets.
Chelsea Catlett can be reached at chelsea.catlett@student.shu.edu.
