Santa Clara University

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–Nov. 26, 2003-Santa Clara University’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers will perform their fifth annual “Festival of Lights” concert Dec. 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. in the Mission Church.  Repertoire will include Vivaldi’s “Magnificat” and selections from Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols.”

The SCU Jazz Ensemble, directed by John Russell, will join in the celebration for a featured presentation of Anne Phillips’ new work “Bending Towards the Light…A Jazz Nativity.”  In conjunction with the concert, a fundraising dinner to support the students and programs of SCU’s Department of Music and Department of Theatre and Dance will be held prior to the performance at the Adobe Lodge.

“I am delighted to be collaborating with the talented jazz ensemble on our ‘Festival of Lights’ program this year,” said Thomas Colohan, music professor and choral activities director.  “The students are excited about the mix of Baroque, 20th century classical music, and jazz. The music making promises to be lively and beautiful,” Colohan added.

In addition to directing the University’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, Colohan serves as director of the Santa Clara Chorale and music director for Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in Palo Alto.  He has conducted members of the National Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the San Jose Symphony, the California Chamber Symphony, the Mission Chamber Orchestra, and the Richmond Symphony.   He served for six years as founder and artistic director of the James River Singers in Richmond, Va, and as assistant conductor of the Master Chorale of Washington, in Washington, D.C.   Colohan has sung professionally with the Washington Opera, the Washington Bach Consort, and the Master Chorale of Washington Chamber Singers.  He holds a master of music in choral music from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor of music in voice performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Tickets to the concert portion of the evening range from $5 to $10. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets to the fundraising dinner are $60 and include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a full sit-down dinner at the historic Adobe Lodge, and reserved-seating tickets to the concert.  All proceeds from the fundraiser are used to provide scholarships, needed equipment, and extended learning opportunities for the students and programs of SCU’s Department of Music and Department of Theatre and Dance. For tickets or more information, contact the Center of Performing Arts box office at 408-554-4015.  On the Web at www.scu.edu/cpa

About Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its 8,060 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master’s and law degrees. Distinguished nationally by the fourth-highest graduation rate among all U.S. master’s universities, California's oldest higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. More information is online at www.scu.edu