'Chimes' concert features Singing Hoosiers

With Christmas coming up, many stores are using Christmas carols to complete the ambiance of holiday cheer. The IU Auditorium is also getting into the sprit with "Chimes of Christmas," a concert performed by IU's Singing Hoosiers, along with the Symphonic Band and the Trombone Choir at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the IU Auditorium.\nThe Singing Hoosiers, "IU's ambassadors of song" according to their Web site, are a widely touring show choir.\nMichael Schwartzkopf is the director of the ensemble and a former Singing Hoosier from the class of 1969.\n"There are two goals I try and meet when planning a concert such as this," Schwartzkopf said. "First is an educational value for the choir, and also to provide entertainment for the audience."\nSchwartzkopf said the concert will start out with more traditional choral repertoire and progress to more popular music by the end.\nSenior Joli Dorman, a third-year member of the Singing Hoosiers, said she expects a good assortment of pieces.\n"There's a great variety of rep(ertoire) on the program," Dorman said. "A bunch of traditional stuff, but also a lot of exclusively Singing Hoosiers arrangements."\nOne of these, is an arrangement of "Jingle Bells," a piece that has become a tradition of "Chimes" in the last several years according to Dorman.\nAlthough the Singing Hoosiers are play a significant part in organizing "Chimes," the instrumental ensembles are of equal importance.\nThe Symphonic Band, conducted by IU Professor of Music Stephen Pratt, will accompany the Hoosiers as well as perform some works on their own.\nThe Symphonic Band strives to get the same mix of repertoire that the Hoosiers are looking for. \n"It will be more of a mix of lighter music with other more serious pieces," Pratt said.\nThe Symphonic Band combines both genres of Christmas music and traditional band repertoire with the piece "Stars and Stripes for Christmas," Pratt said.\n"(It is) a mix of John Phillip Sousa and holiday tunes," Pratt said. \nThis concert has been a Bloomington tradition for the last 40 years, and every year the Singing Hoosiers try to do something a little bit different. The surprise this year is also a big secret.\n"(This piece is) an interesting interpretation of a classic work," Dorman said. \nAs with all the Singing Hoosiers concerts, "Chimes of Christmas" is a family affair, complete with an appearance by Santa himself. \nThe family atmosphere is one pervading not only the Singing Hoosiers performances, but the ensemble itself, Schwartzkopf said.\n"It's a close-knit group of people who honestly support and care for one another." Schwartzkopf said.\n-- Contact staff writer Claire Blaustein at cblauste@indiana.edu.