By Randi Bjornstad
The Eugene Concert Choir’s performance, titled A Holiday Celebration, will be just that, especially with the guest appearance of renowned gospel, jazz, and R&B singer Theresa Thomason and an instrumental combo led by Eugene’s own singer/songwriter/guitarist Don Latarski on the program.
Internationally known singer Theresa Thomason appears with the Eugene Concert Choir in A Holiday Celebration
The Eugene Concert Choir’s resident groups — the full choir begins the show with an “Olde English Dickens” theme based on A Soalin’ (a song made popular by folksingers Peter, Paul and Mary in 1965 with the lyrics “Hey ho, nobody home/Meat nor drink nor money have we none/Yet shall we be merry/Hey ho, nobody home …”), accompanied by Latarski and his combo.
The “Lords and Ladies” who make up the smaller Eugene Vocal Arts ensemble also perform, appearing in Elizabethan costume to offer Renaissance madrigals, motets, and carols.
Thomason will be on hand from the East Coast to sing Sounds Over All Waters, with its hopeful lyrics, “glad jubilations bring hope to the nations: the dark night is over,” and the concert choir will carry on with carols that range from the classic Alleluia by Randall Thompson to bouncy numbers such as Ding, Dong Merrily on High to a Jewish folk song, Ya Ba Bom, imploring the world to find peace, to a jazzy version of the perennial favorite, Sleigh Ride.
Eugene musician Don Latarski will lead an instrumental ensemble to accompany the Eugene Concert Choir
Thomason got her start singing in church choirs as a child and quickly added jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop to her repertoire, becoming a winning performer at the renowned Apollo Theatre in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, where many successful performers have gotten their starts.
She has performed widely throughout the United States and Europe, sharing billing with stars such as Stevie Wonder, Ruby Dee, and Ray Charles, and has appeared on Broadway. Her performances have been shown on television, including NBC and PBS.
All of the performers — choir singers, instrumental performers, and Thomason — will join in a final song, Celebrate, Celebrate, Dance to the Music.
A Holiday Celebration with the Eugene Concert Choir
When: 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021
Where: Silva Concert Hall, Hult Center for the Performing Arts, One Eugene Center (7th and Willamette streets), Eugene
Tickets: $25-$52 for adults with discounts for senior citizens; and $10 for youths and students, available at the Hult Center box office, 541-682-5000, or online at EugeneConcertChoir.org or hultcenter.org
