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Department of Music's Sixth Annual Holiday Dinner is Dec. 4 and 5

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Nearly every night on the campus of Austin Peay State University, students, faculty and members of the Clarksville community enjoy events, lectures and performances in a casual, relaxed setting. But for two evenings each year, the APSU choral program likes to put on its best and celebrate the holidays in style.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Nearly every night on the campus of Austin Peay State University, students, faculty and members of the Clarksville community enjoy events, lectures and performances in a casual, relaxed setting. But for two evenings each year, the APSU choral program likes to put on its best and celebrate the holidays in style.

On the evenings of Dec. 4 and 5, hundreds of people are expected to gather at 7 p.m. in the Morgan University Center on the APSU campus for the Department of Music’s Sixth Annual Holiday Dinner.

The formal, sit-down dinner, featuring APSU choral members performing holiday songs, has grown year-by-year, with an even larger crowd expected to come for this year’s celebration.

“We’re always pleased to present the wonderful sounds of the season through our annual Holiday Dinner,” Dr. Korre Foster, director of choral activities at APSU, said. “We draw a wide variety of patrons (to the dinner), both from the APSU community, the Clarksville community and, of course, family members of student singers to celebrate the holiday season with an evening of food and music.”

While attendees enjoy a salad and either a salmon, steak, pork or vegetarian dinner entrée, the University’s choral ensembles and instrumentalists will perform an array of traditional and international holiday songs.

Some of the pieces performed this year include “Christmas Goes Classical,” a clever combination for choral music by composer David Maddox. Maddox’s composition takes traditional orchestral music and adds a lyrical component well-suited for the APSU choral singers.

Students will also perform a selection of religious international music, including pieces originating from Kenya, Latvia and Russia. Joining the Chamber Singers will be APSU students performing on the piano, string and wind instruments.

The work of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini will also be honored as the APSU choral singers perform “Toast pour le nouvel an,” a song celebrating the upcoming new year.

“Rossini tends to be known for operatic compositions, but he also composed for choirs,” Foster noted. “Our singers will be performing one of those pieces as an a cappella song in honor of the new year.”

A special performance in honor of a secret guest will bring the evening to a close, along with the serving of a dessert that matches the theme.

Tickets for the dinner are $60. For more information, to purchase tickets or to RSVP before Dec. 2, contact Foster at 221-7002 or fosterk@apsu.edu.