Young Naperville Singers to bring 'Yuletide Cheer' Dec. 10
On Sunday, Dec. 10, the Young Naperville Singers will be performing their Yuletide Cheer Holiday Concerts, led by artistic director Angie Johnson, at 2, 4 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. at Neuqua Valley High School, 2360 95th St. The concerts are celebrating this festive season with a vast array of songs in several different languages.
The choirs will be accompanied by guest artists including soloist, JoEllyn Caulfield, a professional vocal performer and instructor. Caulfield holds a bachelor's degree and master's degree in vocal performance, and is a Young Naperville Singers Alumna.
The Bella Voce Singers, Young Naperville Singers' highest level all-girl choir, will be singing "This Christmastide (Jessye's Carol)" by Donald Fraser, composer, conductor, and record producer, who will be in attendance for this special performance.
Fraser wrote this piece on Christmas Eve in 1985, and it comes with a wonderful story on how it was written for American opera singer Jessye Norman:
"On Christmas Eve 1985, a few folk were invited to a dinner party at Jessye Norman's country house in England. As we neared midnight Ms. Norman went off to the kitchen to make coffee. I suggested to the play right and author Jane McCulloch that we quickly run up a carol we could 'give' as an extra present. At precisely midnight on that Christmas morning I sang it through and immediately after Jessye sang it. It was as is, save for the verse about the trumpets which we added later. The opening line refers to the green, silver, red and gold of the wrapping paper from the gifts we had all exchanged earlier and the lyric was written on a piece of kitchen roll which, now framed, hangs at Jessye's home in New York. From that evening the song became the centerpiece of what was to become A Christmas Symphony the CD and DVD were released 30 years ago this month." -Donald Fraser
The Young Naperville Singers is in its 34th season of providing the highest caliber musical education to their nine abilities-based choirs, and the culmination is the wonderful concert performances that are a festive way to celebrate the holiday season. Tickets are still available at youngnapervillesingers.org. For questions, contact the office at (630) 369-9679.