Williston State College's Music Department, under the direction of Herb Parker Jr., will present a series of concerts to kick off the 2010 holiday season.
The first concert, featuring the WSC Concert Choir and the WSC Concert Chorale, will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12, at First Lutheran Church, 916 Main St. The Concert Choir will kick off the event, with the Concert Chorale closing out the afternoon with their presentation of Handel's Messiah.
"We did one piece from it last year for our concert," Parker said. "Then we decided that we'd like to do more of it this year, including eight choruses and several solos."
He noted that the Chorale will be accompanied by a small chamber orchestra. Accompanying the groups on the piano will be Sandi Blikre.
On Dec. 13, at 4 p.m. in room 216E on the WSC campus, Parker's private piano and voice students will present a recital. Blikre and Parker will be accompanying students for this event. There will be no admission charged.
At 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, the WSC String Orchestra will present a concert in room 216E on the WSC campus.
"We will perform some music for string orchestra from different periods of time and also some Christmas music," Parker explained. "We will also feature a string quartet doing a Christmas concerto by Corelli that dates to the Baroque period."
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend all the events. Admission for the Dec. 12 choir concert and the Dec. 14 orchestra concert will be $5 for students and adults. Senior citizens, preschoolers as well as WSC faculty, staff and students who show WSC ID cards will be admitted free.
"We are excited about these performances and we hope to have full houses at all of them," Parker said.
For more information, contact Parker at 774-4572.