Jacobs school unites for holiday concert

For the first time, faculty and students from the IU Jacobs School of Music will come together for a holiday celebration today at the Musical Arts Center.

“This is the first official holiday celebration held at IU,” music professor and Director Steve Houghton said. “We held an informal one in 2008, so we are very excited for this year’s performance.”

The concert will be filled with diversity as it features performances by the IU Latin Jazz Ensemble directed by Michael Spiro, piano soloist Charles Webb, a faculty brass quintet, solo classical guitar and a harp duo.

“This event is a Jacobs School of Music gift to the community,” Webb said. “We’re doing popular things that people associate with religious and secular Christmas music.”

Webb said members of the Jacobs School hope the community comes and joins them.

“It’s going to be a spectacular event that a lot of people will enjoy,” he said.
Though different professional and non-professional musicians will be performing together as in a traditional concert, it is going to be a different type of performance, Houghton said.

“The concert is not like a regular symphony,” Houghton said. “It is a jazz concert with strings.”

The 62-piece studio orchestra playing big band arrangements will perform with a non-traditional, jazzy style in celebration of the holidays.

“The concept of this event is that it gives us an excuse to bring everybody together in a fun and exciting way so that everybody has a chance to enjoy a different style of holiday music,” Houghton said.

This holiday celebration will be the first official performance by the faculty and students of the Jacobs School of Music, but it is not their first time playing the different songs together.

Holiday Celebration: A Jazzy Collection of Seasonal Favorites, a CD recorded by the students and faculty combining the numerous different holiday favorites, will be played at this year’s first holiday celebration.

The CD can be purchased at the event or by visiting music.indiana.edu.
“I think that all the participants in the holiday concert look forward to this becoming an annual event,” professor of music David Effron said. “This will be a lively musical show suited for people of all ages and featuring talented faculty and students from the Jacobs School of Music.”