The most wonderful time of the year: Music ensembles at Maryville College combine for a Dec. 3 ‘Victorian Christmas’ extravaganza
Nov. 22, 2024
Corsets, petticoats, frock coats and top hats are optional, but the Dec. 3 “Victorian Christmas” concert by the music ensembles of Maryville College will transport audience members to a time when the holidays were lavish affairs of warmth, camaraderie and goodwill.
The performance, which takes place at 7 p.m. in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre of the Clayton Center for the Arts, will include selections by the Orchestra at Maryville College, directed by Dr. Ace Edewards; the Maryville College Community Chorus, directed by Dr. Dwight Dockery ’05; the Maryville College Concert Choir and the smaller ensembles Off Kilter and the Lassies, under the direction of Stacey Wilner; and the Lads, directed by Dr. Jennifer Olander Anderson ’05.
“Dwight, Ace and I had a meeting last May to discuss a theme for the 2024 Maryville Christmas concert, and while we discussed several possibilities, we landed on ‘A Victorian Christmas,’ because we thought it would offer an experience that feels both timeless and traditional — a nostalgic celebration of the past that still resonates with the festive joy of the present,” said Wilner, a senior lecturer in music and director of choral activities at Maryville College. “Even the decorations in the performance hall will create a sense of warmth and cozy feelings of the holidays.”
Numerous individual highlights will give each organization an opportunity to shine, but in true Christmas fashion, the spirit of collaboration means that the ensembles will complement and augment one another. The annual Maryville Christmas concert is a tradition in Blount County, and after last year’s performance of Handel’s “Messiah,” the opportunity to return to more traditional holiday fare makes each selection more meaningful, Wilner said.
“When performing with a larger group, each ensemble must focus more on precision and timing to stay in sync with each other, which encourages greater attention to detail,” Wilner said. “These collaborations also enhance musical expression, as the much larger and richer sound of an orchestra can inspire singers to elevate their own emotional and musical performance. These collaborative experiences also foster both personal and collective growth, helping performers deliver higher-quality performances.”
“Because last year’s featured work was Handel’s ‘Messiah,’ which many of our orchestral players had performed several times before, preparation required less rehearsal time,” Edewards added. “This year, however, we’re presenting an entirely new repertoire, which necessitates more focused rehearsal time for proper preparation. As our ensemble continues to grow and mature, I anticipate we’ll be able to expand our programming to include multiple concerts in future seasons.”
Collaborative combinations
One of the most rewarding aspects of the joint performance, Dockery added, is that with members of the community making up ensembles like the orchestra and the chorus, the directors enjoy greater latitude in programming works that have specific appeal beyond that of the College. One of the combined pieces that will also include the voices of the Maryville College Concert Choir, he pointed out, is titled “An English Christmas,” and it was orchestrated by Terry Wilson, whom local residents might know from his four decades of service to First United Methodist Church in Maryville as director of music.
That’s a role Dockery holds now, and to pay tribute to his predecessor through the performance of his original work is an honor, Dockery said.
“In retirement, he has really focused on his efforts as a composer, and I’m thrilled to feature some of his work on this concert,” Dockery said. “He is an immensely talented musician who is also a lovely and supportive human being, and I feel so lucky to call him a friend as well as a colleague.”
In addition to “An English Christmas,” the MC Community Chorus and the Concert Choir will join forces the 1912 work “Fantasia on Christmas Carols” by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. It’s an intricate work that will allow the voices of the chorus and choir to rise powerfully on the notes played by members of the orchestra.
“The carols featured in the Vaughan Williams are even sometimes referred to geographically as the ‘Herefordshire Carol,’ the ‘Somerset Carol’ and the ‘Sussex Carol,’ reflecting the particular region from which each is believed to have originated. Incorporating them into works like this reflects their efforts to disseminate this particularly English music within the country, creating a stronger national musical identity,” Dockery said.
“The piece interweaves several traditional melodies including ‘Come All You Worthy Gentlemen’ and ‘On Christmas Night’ (the Sussex Carol),” Edewards added. “Rather than simply arranging these carols in sequence, Vaughan Williams creates a rich tapestry where the themes appear and resurface in various guises, demonstrating his lifelong commitment to preserving English folk music while elevating it to the concert hall.”
Other works on the program for MC Community Chorus contributions to the Maryville College Christmas concert include:
- “A Virgin Most Pure,” arranged by Charles Wood;
- “Christmas Day,” written in 1910 by Gustav Holst and performed with the MC Concert Choir; and
- “I Saw Three Ships,” arranged by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw.
In turn, additional works by the Orchestra at Maryville College will include:
- “Sleigh Ride,” composed in 1887 by Frederick Delius; and
- “Greensleeves,” arranged by Alfred Reed.
“Composed in 1887 during Delius’s stay in Norway, this short orchestral work paints an atmospheric portrait with shimmering strings and delicate woodwind passages,” Edewards said. “The piece reflects both the crisp Scandinavian winter landscape and the composer’s emerging impressionistic style, as learned from his studies of (Edvard) Grieg’s music during his time in Norway. And Alfred Reed’s imaginative arrangement transforms the traditional tune (known to many as the Christmas carol ‘What Child Is This?’) into a rich setting originally conceived for concert band and adapted here for full orchestra.
“Through varied orchestration and harmonic colors, Reed presents the familiar 16th-century melody multiple times, each iteration revealing new facets of the tune through different instrumental combinations and textures. While maintaining the tune’s pastoral character, this orchestral adaptation of Reed’s classic band arrangement demonstrates the expressive possibilities of both wind and string colors in the modern symphony orchestra.”
Yuletide harmonies abound at Maryville College Christmas concert
The MC Concert Choir, directed by Wilner and comprised of students who serve as musical ambassadors for the College, will also perform Dobrinka Tabakova’s “Goodwill to Men and Peace on Earth,” which “captures the informal, caroling style of the 1800s,” she said.
“The piece’s simple, folk-inspired melodies evoke the Victorian era, and the choir’s addition of percussion and a recorder aims to recreate that historical experience,” Wilner added. “These instruments, reminiscent of those used by Victorian carolers, bring authenticity to the performance. The text focuses on peace and goodwill, central themes of the Christmas season, making the piece both a nostalgic and meaningful choice for the Maryville College Christmas concert.”
Additional performances by Wilner’s ensembles include:
- “The 12 Days of Christmas,” to be performed by Off Kilter, an auditioned ensemble comprised of mostly upper-level students that will “evoke a Victorian sense through its themes of abundance, playfulness and tradition,” Wilner said.
“The song’s emphasis on over-the-top gift-giving reflects the Victorian ideals of generosity and festive spirit, as the era popularized Christmas as a time for family gatherings, feasts, and charitable acts,” she added. “Its playfulness aligns with the Victorian love for parlor games and group singing, making it a favorite for entertainment during holiday gatherings. The song also draws on older English traditions of celebrating the 12-day Christmas season.”
- “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” to be performed by the Lassies, a soprano-alto small ensemble that will remind guests of the era’s focus on the importance of church bells during the Victorian era, when they called villagers to church; and
- The Lads, a tenor-bass ensemble directed by Anderson, will perform “The Gloucestershire Wassail,” a joyous, upbeat performance that draws on “the tradition of carol singers going door to door offering a song and a bowl full of ale in exchange for a gift,” Anderson said.
“In typical Lads fashion, merriment and fun abound,” she added.
And in the true spirit of Christmas, the music will celebrate the traditional Yuletide wishes for peace on earth and goodwill to all. In the wake of a contentious political season, Wilner said, the music of a “Victorian Christmas” concert will serve to remind those in attendance that the holidays are a time to celebrate good tidings of great joy.
“A Christmas choir concert can provide a much-needed balance by offering a positive, communal experience that focuses on fellowship, hope, and joy,” Wilner said. “Music, especially holiday carols, has the power to uplift and bring people together, transcending the divisions and stresses that often accompany political campaigns.”
“Events like a Christmas concert allow us to focus on hope and joy, disregarding the ways we are and have been separated through political seasons,” Dockery added. “The refrain of ‘A Virgin Most Pure’ says, ‘Therefore be merry, rejoice and be merry, put sorrows aside.’
“It may not be so simple to just ‘set aside’ whatever hurts or baggage each of us might carry, but hopefully the beauty and happiness of Christmas, reflected in this timeless music, can allow concertgoers a temporary reprieve.”
The Maryville College Christmas concert, titled “A Victorian Christmas,” will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre of the Clayton Center for the Arts. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for seniors and area students younger than 18, and free for MC faculty, staff and students who obtain a printed ticket from the Clayton Center box office. More information can be found online at claytonartscenter.com or by calling 865-981-8150.