December. 7th through 9th, the University of Colorado Boulder presents its annual tradition for all ages, the CU Holiday Festival, in Macky Auditorium. Now in its 40th year, the celebration brings together student choirs, bands, orchestras and world-class faculty performers for a concert of holiday favorites set against a backdrop of twinkling lights and festive seasonal greenery. Tickets start at $20.
Director of Bands Donald McKinney will serve as the festival’s artistic director for the first time while the festival’s previous artistic director, Director of Choral Studies Gregory Gentry, is on a semester sabbatical.
McKinney finds his role as the creative visionary for the festival both daunting and exciting, but he is honored to ring in the holidays on behalf of the Boulder community.
“The holidays are always about the spirit of coming together and creating community around a season,” McKinney said.
This year, audiences will again experience festival favorites like carol singalongs and the “Hallelujah” chorus. The concert will also feature several new selections, including gospel music, jazz and a piece with personal significance to McKinney.
“This Christmastide ( Jessye’s Carol)’ is a piece of music most people might not know. But I sang it when I was in choir in college, and I fell in love with it—I absolutely adored it. It is so uplifting and so remarkable,” McKinney said. “When I got the opportunity to do the holiday festival, I was adamant that I had to have it in the show.”
The hope is for audiences to leave the auditorium feeling just a bit more merry and bright.
“The two words I keep coming back to are ‘festive’ and ‘uplifting,’” McKinney said. “You walk away thinking ‘I have the holiday spirit now.’ And I want people to feel that regardless of what they just listened to.”
Image Credit: cupresents.org