Trained to fill rooms and move audience members with their rich vocal blends, the BYU Singers are internationally recognized for their talent and professionalism. This spring they will travel to the United Kingdom to perform in the great concert halls, chapels, and cathedrals of England and Wales. This tour will be conductor Ronald Staheli’s third trip to the British Isles in the past three years, and he looks forward to the opportunity to follow up and strengthen relationships made during those visits. “The choir structure in Britain is very different from what we have in the United States,” said Staheli. “The professional choral world is much more active in Britain, and I look forward to making contacts with them and their choirs in order to create strong working relationships.” Influential composers, leading choral conductors, members of parliament, and government officials have been invited to attend the BYU Singers’ concerts throughout the tour. The choir will be touring with a special program, showcasing a variety of music that helped shape the United States of America. Beginning with pieces from the colonial era and ending with modern classical composers, the program will travel through the nation’s cultural history, highlighting the influences of Western European, folk, African-American, and gospel music. “Our goal is to bring a program with an inherent beauty to the eyes, ears, and hearts of our listeners,” said Staheli. “We want to inspire our audiences in such a way that they leave the concert and act on what they have heard, felt, and experienced.” The inspiring recital will travel throughout Southern England, providing rare opportunities for the Singers as they perform in concert halls at renowned educational institutes, including the University of Exeter, the University of Oxford, and the University of Cambridge. At Cambridge a choral workshop is anticipated with one of the local college choirs, providing both choirs an opportunity to interact and sing together. While in Wales the group will hold a workshop with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where five of the college’s master’s-level choral conducting students will meet and work with the group. Later that evening the BYU Singers will hold a special one-night concert in the college’s new performance hall. Along with these programs, the BYU Singers will have many opportunities to experience the culture of England as they perform in some of the oldest and most historically important cathedrals in England. “The venues we will be singing in were built for these types of choral performances,” said Rex Barrington, tour manager. “I’ve had the chance to visit each of the locations personally, and they are all marvelous.” More than just the impressive size, structure, and detail that define these great halls and cathedrals, the sites provide an unsurpassable acoustic quality that brings each song to life. Near the end of the tour the Singers will have an opportunity to perform in St. Paul’s Cathedral, where royal weddings and funerals have been held. Ten times each year this venue invites an outside choir to perform in the cathedral; the BYU Singers were privileged to be the selected performance for the month of May. With no piano accompaniment, the Singers will present 30 minutes of carefully selected and prepared sacred music. The tour finale will be in St. John’s, Smith Square in London. Located in the heart of Westminster in the area of British Parliament, this is considered the venue for choirs in all of London. 'The venues are fantastic; the cities are historic,” said Staheli. “In almost every case the community, local charities, and BYU supportive organizations are coming together to work as a team. It’s an exciting combination that proves this tour isn’t just for BYU; it’s for the communities we visit.” Source: Performing Arts Management

Living Legends recently returned from a tour in the Four Corners area, making stops in Blanding, Utah; Gallup, New Mexico; and Holbrook, Arizona. The group performed at outreaches for local college and high school students and interacted with the many Native Americans in the area.

After a tour to central Europe in the summer of 2011, this year the International Folk Dance Ensemble will take its renowned show, The Gathering, to Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

The Brigham Young University School of Music presents Laurence Lowe in a faculty horn recital Friday, Jan. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. Lowe will be accompanied by Aubrey Woods on violin, Amanda Nixon and Jeffrey Shumway on piano and soprano Wendy Lowe Rush. The recital will feature two pieces composed by Lowe: a world premiere of the Sonata for Violin and Piano and the Sonata No. 2 for Horn, Soprano and Piano. Lowe has established an international reputation as a horn soloist, orchestral player, composer and teacher. He has been a soloist at eight international horn symposia sponsored by the International Horn Society. For more information, contact Laurence Lowe at (801) 422-3318.

Geralyn Giovannetti, a professor at Brigham Young University's School of Music, will be performing Wednesday, Jan. 11, in the Madsen Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. The recital is free. She will perform three works for oboe assisted by Jed Moss on piano, Monte Belknap and Alexander Woods on violin, Claudine Bigelow on viola, Garrick Woods on cello and Eric Hansen on bass. An associate director of the School of Music, Giovannetti is a professor of oboe and a member of the faculty chamber group Orpheus Winds. She trained at the University of Western Ontario and later received her doctorate from the University of Michigan. After graduating she returned to teach at the University of Western Ontario and then taught at the University of Windsor and the University of Michigan before coming to BYU. She has performed with the Orchestras of London, Kitchener, Calgary and Utah and the Canadian Chamber Orchestra. She was the principal oboe of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra from 1983 to 1990. For more information, contact Geralyn Giovannetti at (801) 422-3317.

The holidays at BYU wouldn't be complete without the 'Celebration of Christmas' featuring the BYU Singers, Concert Choir and Men's and Women's Choruses with the Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Brigham Young University Museum of Art will present an exhibition surveying the prints of James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903). 'Fleeting Impressions: Prints by James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)' will run from Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, through April 7, 2012. Admission is free.

Looking for a few quick tips to help you better belt out Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer during this year's Christmas caroling? BYU music professor Arden Hopkin has just the thing for you.

When the rest of her BYU classmates returned to school after the Thanksgiving holiday, junior music dance theatre major Laina Walker was on her way to Los Angeles to rehearse for a national television appearance. She's now back on the stage where she stood out for her beautiful singing voice and for sticking to her personal beliefs.

The Brigham Young University Motion Picture Archive Film Series will show 'It's A Wonderful Life' Friday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. in the Harold B. Lee Library auditorium on level one.

The School of Music at Brigham Young University will host three free student ensemble concerts following the Thanksgiving break at various venues around campus.

The Brigham Young University Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band will be performing their final concerts of the year Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall.