Concert to ring through IU Auditorium

Holiday cheer will continue on campus at 7:30 p.m. today with the annual “Chimes of Christmas” concert at IU Auditorium.

The holiday concert stars the Singing Hoosiers, IU’s vocal ensemble, along with the Brent Wallarab Jazz Ensemble, the IU Vocal Jazz Ensemble, organist William Bryant, local children’s choir Syncopation and vocalist Ly Wilder.

Wilder recently became a professor of jazz voice at the Jacobs School of Music.
It will be the first “Chimes of Christmas” concert for Singing Hoosiers director Steve Zegree, who will also serve as emcee for the show.

Zegree is the fourth director in Singing Hoosiers’ history and a professor in the Jacobs School.

Though “Chimes” is a holiday tradition, Zegree said many things are different this year.
The concert will include all-new music and plenty of surprises.

Zegree said he is thrilled about the opportunity to collaborate with the other artists, especially Syncopation.

“They’re really terrific,” Zegree said of the children’s choir. “They’re going to get a feature in the show that people are going to love.”

The director had an enthusiastic debut with the Singing Hoosiers in October for the group’s fall preview concert, but Zegree said this is his first time in the auditorium.

Auditorium Director Doug Booher said he felt positive the performance will be a success.

“‘Chimes of Christmas’ is a treasured holiday tradition in Bloomington and sincerely captures the grandeur of the holiday spirit,” Booher said in a press release. “Our audience loves ‘Chimes’ as much as the students who perform in it. We look forward witnessing this fresh new take on this fun and festive IU tradition as we welcome the new Singing Hoosiers director Steve Zegree to the auditorium stage in his ‘Chimes’ debut.”

Despite the concert’s Christmas title, Zegree said it has something for everyone. He prefers to think of it as a holiday spectacular.

“It’s more about the spirit and warm vibes,” Zegree said. “We want the audience to feel better.”

He wouldn’t reveal any of the lineup but said the audience can expect old favorites with fresh twists, laugh-out-loud humor and a sing-along.

He has high hopes for tonight’s show.

“It’s gonna be fun, it’s gonna be exciting, the student performers are gonna be really energetic,” Zegree said. “The surprises we’ve set up, the humor, it can’t be explained. It has to be experienced.”

— Mina Asayesh-Brown