Friends of Chamber Music will bring a twist on holiday music as you know it when a two-time Grammy Award-winning male a cappella group presents their long-awaited program, “Sing Thee Nowell.” On Friday, Dec. 3, New York Polyphony will perform a live concert at A&M United Methodist Church at 7 p.m., followed by a forum discussion.
“Any time when a vocal group of this incredible reputation and international acclaim comes to Bryan-College Station, it’s a significant event for the community,” says Elena Reece, Artistic Director of Friends of Chamber Music (FCM).
After a 12-month postponement of the live event, the ensemble is one of the three ensembles featured in FCM’s main concert series this season, along with Axiom Brass Quintet and Arod String Quartet. “Each one of these programs is unique,” Reece says.
“Sing Thee Nowell” aligns modern Christmas hits with early European vocal tradition. “This approach brings a unique large-scale perspective to the Christmas music soundscapes.” Creating unique Christmas programs has been an annual tradition for New York Polyphony since its inception in 2006. Some compositions come and go, while others in the program are new and composed for the ensemble.
After the concert, the artists will talk with the audience in a forum. Questions from the audience are encouraged, so please submit them ahead of time to info@fcmtx.org. You can ask about program choices, the history and experiences of the group, and wherever your curiosity leads the conversation. The concert and forum will be livestreamed and available to those who register beforehand on the FCM website.
“I hope that patrons will ask some fun questions as well,” Reece says. “It’s always interesting to have a glimpse of a “real-life” person alongside a public image of a high-profile musician.”
Ring in the holiday spirit by listening to this stellar choir as they present their take on holiday music throughout the ages!
