Chorus performs to bring holiday spirit

by Denise Civa

It all began with a six song Christmas carol medley which included "Hark! the Heralds Angels Sing," "Silent Night,'' and "Joy to the World." It finished with the "Hallelujah Chorus" by George Handel from "The Messiah."

It seemed a night to remember. It was Dec.6, the night the season's spirit descended on Cabrini and the chorus performed their annual Christmas concert.

The 40 member choir made up of students, alumni, and community mem~rs and directed by Dr. Adeline Bethany, chairperson of the Fine Arts department, entertained the audience that came to the festively decorated Widener Center Lecture Hall to hear songs of Christmas old and new.

The audience this year though, according to the students and Dr. Bethany was not as large as in past years, but yet were very receptive to the songs and music. This was definitely shown through the wide participation in the audience sing-a-long that is performed half way through the show. A booklet of Christmas songs was passed out to the audience before the concert began and during the concert the audience was allowed to choose which carols they would like to perform.

The audience also showed their enthusiasm for the show during the songs performed by soloists Maria Stellabotte, senior, Therese Wainwright, alumna '71, Rita Ganima, alumna '86, Karen Clark, senior, and Amy Lopolito, freshman.

Lopolito was apparently a great favorite when she sang a song entitled "Jesus" which she wrote and performed herself.

"It's not just mysong. It's God's song through me,'' Lopolito said.

Steve Quinn, Lopolito's boyfriend from Maryland who came up to Cabrini just to hear the song performed, said, "I'm overwhelmed. I'm always very proud of her."

"It's a beautiful song of love and devotion," Bethany said.

Bethany also mentioned that this is the first time a student has written and performed a song at the Christmas concert.

The whole evening seemed to go very smoothly. Even the fainting of one of the choir members didn't really take away the Christmas mood that was in the air.

It seemed like "orderly'' confusion then. The choir practiced walking on and off the bleachers.

"You have to be a disciplined group You must look like a unit,'' Bethany said.

"Never, never talk or communicate with anyone in the audience," Bethany would instruct again.

And then they sang,and out of the confusion came beautiful music which was sometimes sung softly, sometimes loudly, but alwaysjoyfully.

All this long preparation and practice, which according to Sister Valerie Rose, choir member, began in September, seemed to pay off.

The show, to many in the audience and even those in the chorus, went well and reallysharedthejoythe holiday season and the music associated with it had to offer.

Dr. Bethany summed up her feelings of the Christmas concert.

"It sets off the season for me,'' she said. "It gives me a warm and happy feeling."