The BSC Alumni Choir, BSC Concert Choir, and the Canterbury United Methodist Church Choir will combine for a performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ magnificent “Hodie,” with 39-piece orchestra on Sunday, December 3, at 7 p.m. at Canterbury.

Dr. Lester C. Seigel ‘79, the J. Hugh Thomas Endowed Professor of Music, will direct the performance, which features soloists Susan Williams ’95, James Seay ’01, and Daniel Seigel ’02.

The production is made possible by a generous gift to Canterbury from the late Dr. Wayne W. Killion, Jr., ‘72, former chair of the BSC Board of Trustees, a former member of the Canterbury Choir, a BSC Concert Choir alumnus, and past participant in the Alumni Choir.

“Williams’ Hodie, a piece from his late years, has been compared to Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in its structure, telling the dramatic story through lessons and carols in 15 scenes plus a two-part epilogue,” Seigel says. “The work draws primarily from the Gospel of Luke, whose nativity account rivals that of Matthew’s and is perhaps the more poetic of the two.

“As with many masterpieces, Hodie didn’t debut to all-rave reviews, but in fact it is a remarkably creative piece, ranging from the raucous paean of the first movement to the starkly dramatic ‘March of the Kings’ and some of the most tender moments in the two understated a cappella chorales and poignantly expressive arias.,” he adds. “The choral and orchestral use of color is reminiscent at times of Holst’s The Planets in its range and shimmer.”

BSC alumni interested in joining the alumni choir for the performance may contact Seigel at [email protected] or join the BSC Alumni Choir Facebook group for information on the rehearsal schedule and other details.

Dr. Lester Seigel

“This work demands total commitment, so there will be a more rehearsals than we usually do for the traditional service of lessons and carols,” says Seigel, who will retire from his long and storied career on the BSC faculty at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year.

“I can’t think of a better celebration of the spirit of Christmas than this magnificent lessons-and-carols, all in one big piece.”