New Penn State Behrend Holiday Concert to Debut Dec. 2

Community invited to join in singing of wintertide and holiday carols

Papers. Deadlines. Finals. No one ever said the final month of a college semester is easy.

Sometimes a good start can make all the difference, and that’s where The Choirs of Penn State Behrend Holiday Sing-Along comes into play.

This new event will be held Monday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. in Reed Auditorium of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The Behrend Chamber Singers and Concert Choir invite the community to join them in performing traditional wintertide and holiday carols. The Young People’s Chorus of Erie will also perform during the concert.

“The Monday after Thanksgiving marks the final lap of the semester, and I’ve found that it’s a little tough to spend a week away from campus and then come right back to the grind of finals and papers and grading,” says Gabrielle Dietrich, choir conductor and director of choral programs at the college. “We’re hoping that an hour of singing and holiday cheer can help to ease that transition and provide an opportunity to experience the fun of the holiday season with the campus community.”

According to Dietrich, the idea of a community sing-along is not a new concept. In many places around the world, “community sings” are becoming more prevalent, and this has long been something that Dietrich has wanted to bring to Erie.

“Basically, you gather a community of people, folks who identify as singers and folks who might not, and you sing tunes that have broad appeal—holiday songs, folk songs, jazz and pop standards—anything that has a direct connection to the group of people doing the singing and inspires them to raise their voices,” Dietrich says. “I think the popularity of these events is a testament to the desire, conscious or unconscious, of human beings to unplug and connect with others in an authentic way, and to cultivate a sense of community.”

The concert is free and open to the public, and cookies and cider will follow the performance. For additional information, please contact Dietrich at 814-898-6636.