Holiday concerts at ECC
A great way to get into the holiday spirit is through a live musical performance.
Elgin Community College bands and vocal ensembles offer a variety of ways to enjoy the sounds of the season during these upcoming performances in the ECC Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
ECC Jazz Ensembles
Under the direction of Mark Bettcher, the polished sound and eclectic jazz styles of the ECC Jazz Ensembles will shine during “A Winter Taste of Jazz.” The group’s winter concert features guest artist Chicago jazz trumpeter Victor Garcia, a founding member of the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble.
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1Tickets: $11 for adults and $9 for students and seniorsECC Concert ChoirThe ECC Concert Choir, under the direction of John G. Slawson, performs an array of selections that explore choral music throughout the ages during #147;The Joy of Song.#148;Selections will include a Romanian folk dance tune, #147;Chindia#148; by Alexandru Pascanu; a Chinese song, #147;Chou Nu Er#148; by Yi-Wen Chang; an American spiritual, #147;Daniel#148; arranged by Rollo Dilworth; a novelty number, #147;Animal Crackers#148; by Eric Whitacre; and a medley from the Broadway musical #147;Next to Normal.#148;When: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5Tickets: $9 for adults and $7 for students and seniorsECC Steel BandsThis ensemble will #147;Heat Up the Holidays,#148; performing the music of Radiohead, Phish, Duran Duran, as well as Caribbean versions of the tunes #147;God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen#148; and #147;Once in Royal David#146;s City.#148; The ECC Steel Bands, under the direction of Steve Butters, play an eclectic mix of calypso, pop, reggae, rock, and more.When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6Tickets: $9 for adults and $7 for students and seniorsECC Concert BandThe ECC Concert Band, under the direction of Jim Kull, carries out some #147;Holiday Traditions#148; with favorites like Leroy Anderson#146;s #147;Sleigh Ride#148; and #147;A Christmas Festival.#148; Also featured will be new contemporary arrangements of #147;Feliz Navidad,#148; #147;Away in a Manger#148; and Chris Macdonald#146;s #147;Secret Agent Santa.#148; When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7Tickets: $9 for adults and $7 for students and seniorsVocal Jazz EnsembleUnder the direction of John G. Slawson, the ECC Vocal Jazz Ensemble performs the #147;Cool Rhythms#148; of vocal jazz literature, from bebop to blues, standards to swing.The ensemble#146;s performance will include arrangements of Billy Joel#146;s #147;Just the Way You Are#148; and Roberta Flack#146;s #147;Killing Me Softly With His Song,#148; along with some standard tunes such as #147;Let#146;s Face the Music and Dance#148; and #147;Moonglow.#148;The vocal ensemble will be assisted by the professional jazz trio of Reid Spears on piano, Andy Soderstrom on drums and Ben Dillinger on bass.When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8Tickets: $9 for adults and $7 for students and seniorsTickets for all performances in the ECC Arts Center are available online at tickets.elgin.edu or at the ECC box office in the arts center. Box office hours are noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. To purchase tickets by phone, call (847) 622-0300. Visit elgin.edu/arts for details. 26574000Chicago trumpeter Victor Garcia, a founding member of the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble, will perform with the ECC Jazz Ensembles at their concert, A Winter Taste of Jazz, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at the ECC Arts Center.Courtesy of Elgin Community College 25923888The Elgin Community College Concert Choir will perform The Joy of Song at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, at the ECC Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.Courtesy of Elgin Community College 38882592The Elgin Community College Steel Bands will perform Heat Up the Holidays at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the ECC Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.Courtesy of Elgin Community College