Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will host a holiday concert featuring the Rensselaer Orchestra, the Rensselaer Concert Choir, and a Festival Chorus on Sunday, Dec.16, at 3 p.m. in the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center.

“We invite our friends and neighbors to join us in a joyous celebration of the season,” said Mary Simoni, dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. “It is a pleasure to showcase the many diverse talents within the Rensselaer community through this delightful and festive program.”

The concert will feature classical compositions by Handel, Brahms, Mozart, Dvorak, and more. In addition to the classical favorites, the chorus will perform favorite carols, including The Little Drummer Boy, Sleigh Ride, and others.

The Rensselaer Orchestra, and the orchestra in conjunction with the Festival Chorus, will perform under the direction of Ariel Rudiakov, conductor of the orchestra and artistic director of the Manchester Music Festival. The Festival Chorus is comprised of members of the Rensselaer Concert Choir, as well as Rensselaer students, faculty, and staff and members from the Capital District.

“The program is a festive celebration with music spanning four centuries,” said Rudiakov. “There is everything, and I mean everything here; stylistically speaking we go from the French baroque of Marc-Antoine Charpentier to the breezy, seasonal tune-smithing of American Leroy Anderson.”

The Rensselaer Concert Choir will perform under the direction of Shellie Badger, director of choir, adjunct professor at Rensselaer, and chorus teacher at Goff Middle School in East Greenbush.

“The selections for chorus include a mix of unknown repertoire and traditional holiday music; there’s something for everyone,” said Badger. “This musical selection represents a multi-cultural approach to the holiday season.”

The concert is free and open to the public (seating is on a first-come first-served basis), although registration has been requested. To register please visit: http://www.rpi.edu/about/holiday/

Refreshments will be served at a reception following the concert.

The program will include:

Orchestra
Academic Festival Overture - Brahms
Slavonic Dance No. 8, Op.72 - Dvorak
Radetsky March - Johann Strauss Sr.

Orchestra and Chorus
Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah - Handel
Ave Verum Corpus - Mozart
Messe de Minuit pour Noel - Charpentier

Chorus
With A Voice of Singing - Martin Shaw
Ride The Chariot – Arrangement Smith
Can You Hear - Jim Papoulis and Francisco Nunez
Ubi Caritas - Maurice Durufle
S'Vivon - Betty Bertaux
The Little Drummer Boy - Harry Simeone
African Noel - Arrangement Andre Thomas
Carol of the Bells - Arrangement Wilhousky
Sleigh Ride - Arrangement Ades