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| November 2004 |
| Annual Cathedral concerts will expand,
and will bring back familiar elements |
Gene Young
Managing Editor |
Preparations are underway for the eighth
annual “Christmas at the Cathedral” concerts to
benefit St. Joseph Cathedral.
This year, there will be an additional evening concert added
on Thursday, December 16 at
7:30 p.m.
Besides the Thursday evening performance, the concerts will
be performed on Friday, December 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday,
December 18 at 1:00 p.m. and
7:30 p.m.
There will also again be a special performance on Sunday, December
19, at 3:00 p.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Hoven, for
the benefit of St. Anthony Church.
“The theme is ‘The Sound of Peace’”,
said Mark Conzemius, executive director of the Catholic Foundation
for Eastern South Dakota. “It will focus on the universal
story of the birth of the Christ child, the Prince of Peace
as celebrated around the world in the many customs and cultures
of the people who now call South Dakota their home.”
The concerts continue to be a display of the warmth of the Christmas
season. “What’s really extraordinary is we can do
this in a lot of different locations but to do it in the beautiful
Cathedral, it just takes the music and the entertainment to
a whole other level. It becomes inspirational,” said Conzemius.
The South Dakota Symphony Chamber Orchestra will perform and
conductor emeritus Henry Charles Smith will again conduct the
orchestra.
He has also arranged most of the music that will be performed
during the concerts.
There will be a few familiar touches that concertgoers will
see again including “Joy to The World” and the “Halleluja”
chorus from Handel’s “Messiah.”
The Light Springs Singers will also be back to perform. “These
are two brothers and two sisters, originally from the Ukraine,”
said Conzemius. “They have an extraordinary ability to
harmonize.”
This year’s concert theme was inspired in part by headlines
heralding the increased number of immigrants coming to the diocese.
Conzeumius asked, “What are those things that we hold
in common?”, as he began mapping the answers he came up
with pointed to numerous things. “Obviously, the gift
of life but as well, the gift of our faith,” he said.
“Many of us share the same faith and that peace coming
through the Christ child which we celebrate at Christmas.”
“There will be some traditional Christmas songs,”
Conzemius said. “But you’ll realize, maybe for the
first time, that their roots come from another country, another
culture.” Included among those familiar Christmas tunes
will be an arrangement of “Silent Night.” It will
be called for the purpose of the concerts “A Silent Night
Around the World.” There will be six verses with each
done in a different language including the final verse which
will be done in sign language.
This year’s event will mark the second time the “Christmas
at the Cathedral” concert will be performed outside of
St. Joseph Cathedral. The special performance at St. Anthony
Church in Hoven seeks to help maintain that house of worship.
As in past years, proceeds from the Sioux Falls concerts will
go towards the permanent endowment for the ongoing care and
maintenance of St. Joseph Cathedral.
The endowment is now set up in perpetuity to address the needs
and expenses with keeping St. Joseph Cathedral a shining beacon
and inspiration for the community.
The concerts have to date generated $380,000 dollars for the
perpetual care and maintenance of St. Joseph Cathedral.
Tickets are available at the Catholic Pastoral Center and will
be the same price they were last year.
In Hoven, they are available at St. Anthony Church.
You can also contact the Catholic Foundation of Eastern South
Dakota toll free at 1-888-246-3386 for tickets or online at
www.sfcatholic.org. |
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