By
Vanessa Francis
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Concert blends song, lectures on holiday traditions
Holidays are wrought with tradition - traditions to which people continue to cling in their blind allegiance.
Eggs are painted at Easter, turkeys are cooked at Thanksgiving and, at Christmas, people decorate trees, wrap presents and kiss under mistletoe - but few people know why.
The UA Symphonic Choir and the Arizona Choir intend to share the little-known origins behind some of these traditions and more in their annual holiday concert, "Hanging of the Green," Sunday.
The concert will explore the music and symbolism behind the greenery - like Christmas trees and holiday wreaths - that people use to decorate their homes around the holidays, said Bruce Chamberlain, acting director of choral activities in the School of Music and Dance.
"This idea (of greenery used for decoration) is actually an old, English tradition," Chamberlain said. "This is, however, a new tradition to the UA, with the incorporation of this scheme with a holiday concert. We tried to incorporate an educational aspect to it."
Not only is the arrangement of the program new this year, so is the free admission.
"It's our gift to Tucson," Chamberlain said.
Various University of Arizona vice presidents will read short paragraphs about the greenery associated with the holiday. Chamberlain did both the background research and the writing for these statements. Several administrators are scheduled to appear - including Steven Hedden, vice dean of the College of Fine Arts; Randall Richardson, vice president for undergraduate education; and Elizabeth Ervin, vice provost for academic personnel.
"We set out to find folks around campus, in an effort to speak to everyone on campus...they are administrators from all corners of campus," Chamberlain said.
Ervin will read a passage, yielded by Chamberlain's research, about the "spotless rose as foretold in the book of Isiah in the Bible."
"It's (the passage) regarding the ancient tree of Jesse and how the rose interprets the fragility and perfection of the baby Jesus," Ervin said.
Additionally, Jacqueline Mok, associate dean of the fine arts college, will deliver a brief introductory paragraph prior to the singing of "Oh, Tannenbaum."
"The passage discusses the history and significance of that song and the tradition of Christmas trees," Mok said.
Chamberlain said that the carol was inspired about a German evergreen tree - referring to the traditionally candle-lit Noble fir.
"It's a 19th century carol about a tree which gives human-like qualities," Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain said that as far as he knows, this is the first type of concert which will incorporate readings between songs.
"This is the first time to my knowledge a concert had this 'Hanging of the Green' twist," he said.
Mok said that this type of holiday concert is usually well-attended by the Tucson community.
"All the ones I have attended have been standing-room only," she said.
Chamberlain will conduct the Arizona Choir and Norene Walters and Brad Barrett will conduct the UA Symphonic Choir.
In addition to songs performed by the combined 90-person choir, a Christmas carol sing-along with the audience will also take place to the songs "O Come All Ye Faithful," "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing."
