Breadcrumb
UCM Music Pairs with First Lady for Holiday Charity Concert
By Jeff Murphy, November 30, 2020
WARRENSBURG, MO 鈥� Join the 欧美视频 Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble,
and Concert Choir as they pair this week with Robin Best in the annual 鈥淔irst Lady鈥檚
Holiday Charity Concert.鈥� This year鈥檚 concert will solicit funds to help support the
Old Drum Animal Shelter of Warrensburg, Missouri.
In an abundance of caution to ensure a safe and healthy event, this year鈥檚 concert will be premiered virtually on the UCM Bands鈥� YouTube channel at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2. Visit to subscribe and set a reminder for the concert. Viewers can also access the video directly at 7 p.m. Wednesday .
The holiday concert was designed by several students after the poem, 鈥淭he Night Before Christmas.鈥� The poem is cleverly used to introduce each of the ensembles and the effort to help support the Old Drum Animal Shelter.
Concert selections will feature vocal student soloist Emily Alumbaugh in 鈥淚 Know Moonrise鈥� with the Concert Choir and Albert Suarez, principal horn with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, and UCM Music faculty with the Wind Ensemble in 鈥淪anta鈥檚 Ride,鈥� the third movement from Charles Fernandez鈥檚 鈥淗oliday Horn Concerto.鈥� The Wind Ensemble will also make the audience think a little differently about Christmas as it presents David Lovrien鈥檚 鈥淢inor Alterations: Christmas from the Looking Glass.鈥�
鈥淒avid takes many of the well-known holiday tunes and puts them all into minor keys, which has a natural element of sadness. But, if you like the Disney movie, 鈥淭he Nightmare Before Christmas,鈥� you will undoubtedly love this work and never hear these tunes the same way ever again,鈥� noted Anthony Pursell, UCM鈥檚 director of bands and conductor of the Wind Ensemble.
Also during the concert, the UCM Symphonic Band, led by Dr. Julia Baumanis, will present the holiday classic, 鈥淪leigh Ride.鈥�
Viewers can hop into their warm pajamas and have a cup of hot chocolate as they gather the family around the television, laptop, or iPad for this UCM holiday tradition. For more information, please contact Anthony Pursell at pursell@ucmo.edu.