The sounds of the holiday season filled Syracuse University's Hendricks Chapel on Sunday, December 14, as the annual "Horns and Harmonies" concert brought together the Syracuse University Brass Ensemble, the Spirit of Syracuse Chorus and the Harmonic Collective for an evening of festive music and community celebration.
The soaring architecture of Hendricks Chapel once again resonated with the triumphant sounds of the season as Syracuse University presented "Horns & Harmonies," a collaborative holiday concert that brought together the region's premier brass and choral musicians.
Headlined by the Syracuse University Brass Ensemble (SUBE) under the artistic direction of Dr. James T. Spencer, the event promised a "sweeping, cinematic soundscape" designed to capture the jubilance of the holidays. Joining the ensemble were the Spirit of Syracuse Chorus and the Harmonic Collective, adding rich vocal textures to the brass instrumentation.
A Fusion of Tradition and Contemporary Energy
The program, emceed by WCNY's Bruce Paulsen, balanced beloved carols with contemporary arrangements. The concert opened with the "bold, festive, and wonderfully energetic" A Christmas Fanfare by Dorothy Gates, described in the program notes as "the musical equivalent of that moment when someone plugs in the tree and everything lights up at once".
The repertoire spanned the reflective to the rousing. Highlights included Ola Gjeilo's Northern Lights, which evoked a "winter sky streaked with aurora," and Paul Lovatt-Cooper's Fire in the Blood, a high-energy piece originally commissioned for the International Staff Band of The Salvation Army.
Voices of the Season
The vocal performances were equally compelling. The Spirit of Syracuse Chorus performed favorites like Walking in the Air from "The Snowman" and the Fleet Foxes' White Winter Hymnal, arranged to evoke "the quiet beauty of a snowy landscape". Meanwhile, the Harmonic Collective offered a barbershop-style rendition of Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy.
A Community Celebration
True to the event's community spirit, the audience was invited to participate directly. The program featured a sing-along of Irving Berlin's White Christmas, inviting concertgoers to add their voices to Philip Sparke's "warm, golden" brass arrangement.
The evening concluded with a long-standing Hendricks Chapel tradition: a reflective candle-lighting service accompanied by a combined performance of Silent Night. As the lights dimmed and the "radiant beams" of the hymn filled the hall, the SUBE and both choruses joined forces for a finale that celebrated peace and unity.
Special Thanks
Audio Engineer: Patrick MacDougall
Audio Assistants: Abby Lee and Luke Johnson
With gratitude to Mary Kasprzyk for her outstanding contributions.
