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Show I Chamber Singers concert Dec. 5 Group prepares for Ireland performance tour Sarah Pike StaffWriter f With 30 members, this years Westminster Chamber Singers group is the largest in Westminster history. These Griffins are busier than ever. Currently they are preparing for the upcoming release of their new CD, fundraising for and planning an Ireland performance trip and prepping for their holiday concert. . I - 's- - r f 1 HOLIDAY CONCERT The Chamber Singers holiday concert will be held Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jewett Concert Hall, with a preview concert just for the Westminster community on Friday, Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. This years Chambers Singers Holiday Concert is different than in years past. Its just them performing one solid hour of Westminsters select group of singers. This is the Chamber Singers first holiday concert where it just features the Chamber Singers. At this point, we are performing our own concerts all year, said Chamber Singers Director L Chris Quinn. Another change: this years holiday concert is free. Weve decided since were going to Ireland, were going to try and encourage people to give us donations, said - v la i f 4 j This is our traditional holiday concert, full I of sacred and some secular songs to get people Chamber into the spirit of the holidays, said Quinn. The concerts program includes a rendition of Silent Night sung in German, English, Korean and Spanish. Theres a real skilled choral sound, but you also get to hear a lot more individual voices. You get a lot more character in different pieces because you have all of these octets doing different songs, said Chamber Singers President Caidyn Jones. Its a very different sound from previous years, said Chambers Singers Vice President Kimberly Tosti. With more men in the mix, Tosti described the group as much more balanced than previous years. Its one of our prettiest repertoires for Christmas. If we are doing traditional pieces, its done in a way youve never heard before, said Tosti. These Christmas songs will really get you excited for the season. Its been so much fun rehearsing songs like a jazzy style Jingle Bells, said Jones. 4 im 4 .VI'. 2 ,tJ. raise money for their Irish tour, the Chamber Singers are brainstorming ways to get the campus involved. Tosti, also the choirs Tour Committee Head, is in the works of planning future fundraising events. Well have monthly bake sales in Shaw, as well To selling gift baskets and my handmade jewelry at the holiday concerts, said Tosti. Tosti also mentioned a possible St. Patricks Day mixer and an cabaret to help raise funds. One of the choirs largest fundraisers will be the sale of the Chamber Singers first professional studio CDs. The CDs, featuring the Chamber Singers and Griffin 5, a mens vocal group, will be available for sale at the holiday concerts. After almost a seven month production process, with most recording taking place on campus, the CDs wall be available in the Westminster bookstore as well. All proceeds will go to the May Ireland tour. as ear 1 - Singers in China at Nankai University Chamber Singers in China r $ v Y J tf 4. ' X . IRELAND PERFORMANCE TOUR The Chamber Singers are combing sightseeing and singing for a two to three week trip abroad. Well be touring different churches and venues from southern to northern Ireland, said Tosti. The group will travel alongside English and Latin students for May Term 2010. Quinn visited Ireland last summer to make contacts for future performances. I visited a lot of performing venues like churches, cathedrals, and towns and cities along the way that would host us, said Quinn. The Chamber Singers will start off at the Cork International Choir Festival, where choirs from all of over the world will be present including Germany, Australia, Russia, Sweden, Denmark and France. Its a very prestigious choir festival, said Quinn. Quinn will also be incorporating a service-learnicomponent on the tour for the first time. Were going to a town called Ballina. The choir will be singing with Irish choirs and the concert proceeds will go to a local charity, said Quinn. Quinn is also working on setting up a service-learnin- g project where the choir can do something for the Irish while in Ballina. Possible projects could be anything from helping farmers to singing for people in nursing homes. Past Chamber Singers trips have included Spain, France and China. It will be quite a different trip from others. I think the choir is going to get a better sense of the culture. Theyre going to come back with a really strong feeling of another country, said Quinn, y? ng 10 VOLUME XLIII: ISSUE 7 at the Temple of Heaven X., Chamber Singers at the Great Wall of China FUNDRAISING 1 v I i Quinn. end-of-the-y- v. g I S lit |