LMC ensembles unite for annual Holiday Collage concert

 

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – The warmth and spirit of the season will fill the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Grand Upton Hall when the LMC Visual & Performing Arts Department presents its annual Holiday Collage concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4. 

 

The College’s complete lineup of instrumental and vocal ensembles will come together in song, accompanied by dramatic readings during this festive celebration. The evening features performances by the LMC Concert Choir, LMC Vocal Chamber, and Vox LMC directed by Rebecca Derbas-Selvidge, the LMC Jazz Band directed by Danny Lopez, the Rock/Pop Ensemble directed by Don Savoie, and readings from theatre students under the instruction of Shalico Sain. 

 

Among the planned musical pieces are “Joy to the World,” “Christmas Memories,” the much-loved Vince Guaraldi Trio standard “Christmas Time is Here” written for “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” the German carol “Susanni,” Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” the popular Hebrew Hanukkah song “S'Vivon,” and “Jingle Bells.” 

 

"Something special happens when our ensembles come together for this holiday concert. Each performer brings their gift of musicianship to the stage, but when they perform as one, they create something far greater than the sum of their parts. These concerts remind us that music is about building community and sharing joy,” stated Dr. Robert Lunn, Department Chair of Visual & Performing Arts.  

  

Light refreshments and a cash bar will be available. In lieu of paid admission, a donation to the LMC Visual & Performing Arts Department is suggested to support the event. 

 

For more information about the LMC Visual & Performing Arts department and performances, visit lakemichigancollege.edu/arts, email mmcaffrey@lakemichigancollege.edu, or call 269-927-8876.  

   

About the Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts Department   
The Visual & Performing Arts Department allows students to reach new levels of excellence through classroom instruction and public performance. Many programs, including instrumental and vocal music, theatre, and dance, are based in the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center, the only performing arts center of its kind in southwest Michigan. Here, LMC students have opportunities to study the performing arts in a venue that attracts thousands of patrons annually. Programs including drawing, painting, and graphic design allow students to explore the possibilities in the visual arts.  
  
Auditions are held for select ensembles that perform on the same stages as world-renowned touring acts. Students in any major also have opportunities to audition for Broadway musicals and plays and join two different vocal ensembles, string and wind ensembles, a pop-rock ensemble, and jazz band. One of only two colleges in Michigan to carry the prestigious All-Steinway designation, LMC has a team of highly qualified faculty that bring real-world expertise to the classroom.    

  

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The Mendel Center is 30 minutes from Niles and 40 minutes from the Kalamazoo and South Bend areas. It is located on the Lake Michigan College campus at 2755 E. Napier Avenue, Benton Harbor, Michigan, one mile east of I-94 (Exit 30) and one mile west of the US 31 Bypass (exit 24). Its GPS mapping address is 1100 Yore Avenue, Benton Harbor, Mich.