"There is No Rose: Songs of Winter" Concert

TACOMA, Wash. –   “Leave we all this worldly mirth …,” appeals a traditional English carol—one of many songs celebrating peace and reflection that can be heard at this year’s University of Puget Sound winter holiday concert.

True to its annual tradition, the School of Music is presenting holiday music worldwide, with a program that ranges from Gregorian chants to African communal choruses to modern a cappella cover songs. Audiences will be invited to sing along with traditional Christmas carols.

“The image of a new life during winter is something that many different cultures celebrate across the globe,” said Steven Zopfi, Puget Sound director of choral activities. “It cuts across religious, ethnic, and geographical identities —which is the whole idea of this concert every year.”

The concert There is No Rose: Songs of Winter will be held Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. in Kilworth Memorial Chapel. The event will feature the Adelphian Concert Choir and Voci d’Amici, conducted by Steven Zopfi, with Jeff Orr on organ, Francis Welsh on harp, and holiday readings by Puget Sound Chaplain Dave Wright. Tickets are $10 general and $5 for seniors, students, military personnel, and Puget Sound campus members. The ticket purchase information is below.

The concert title derives from one of the program's pieces, There is No Rose, a composition written by Connor J. Koppin using the text of the traditional English carol. There is No Rose of Such Virtue (which has its lyrics quoted above).

“I picked the theme for a couple of reasons,” Zopfi said. “First, we have several ‘rose’ songs in the program. Also, the idea of the ‘rose in winter’ is an ancient reference to the Virgin Mary—specifically, the Christmas version of Mary.”

The songs to be performed include Veni, Veni Emmanuel (Gregorian chant); E Oru O (Nigeria); Brightest and Best (Christian hymn, U.S.A.); O Come All Ye Faithful; Pat-a-pan (France); Nova! Nova! (English traditional); Lo, How a Rose/The Rose (arranged by Craig Hella Johnson); Gabi, Gabi (South African, arranged by Steven Zopfi); Ma’oz Tzur (Jewish); Joy to the World; and Silent Night, among others.

The Adelphian Concert Choir has attracted accolades from audiences in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Every year the choir gains new talent as students worldwide join the School of Music and audition for a place. The choir regularly travels the Northwest and further afield to perform, continuing a tradition that started with its founding in 1932.

Voci d’Amici is an a cappella ensemble selected from members of the Adelphian Concert Choir. The popular ensemble has a repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century.

Steven Zopfi, one of the leading young conductors in the Pacific Northwest, currently also serves as the artistic director and conductor of the Portland Symphonic Choir, the Oregon Symphony's official chorus.

FOR TICKETS: Tickets are available online at tickets.pugetsound.edu or Wheelock Information Center, 253.879.3100. Admission is $10 for the general public; $5 for seniors (55+), students, military, and Puget Sound faculty, staff, and students. Any remaining tickets will be available at the door.  

For directions and a map of the campus: pugetsound.edu/directions 
For accessibility information, please contact accessibility@pugetsound.edu or 253.879.3931, or visit pugetsound.edu/accessibility.

Press photos of the Adelphian Concert Choir and Steven Zopfi can be downloaded from pugetsound.edu/pressphotos
Photos on page: Adelphians and Conductor Steven Zopfi.

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