Community members will have a chance to be part of the song “Sleigh Ride” and join in the sing-along during the Tusculum University Community Band’s Christmas concert. Image by Tusculum University

GREENEVILLE, TN – Attendees of the  Tusculum University  Community Band’s Christmas concert will not only hear delightful new Christmas music but also possibly play a role in the performance.

The band will take the stage in the Marilyn duBrisk Theatre inside Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. for the show “Home for Christmas.” This is a free concert, but donations are welcome. The audience will enjoy a variety of songs that will further put people in the Christmas spirit while experiencing another high-quality arts performance at the university.

Cal Doty, Greeneville’s mayor, and Alan Corley, mayor of the City of Tusculum, will again serve as emcees for the concert.

“We are always creating an enjoyable concert that enriches the lives of our guests,” said Chris Chambers, the conductor and director. “This performance is no different, and we are excited we will inject a little fun into the concert along with the excellent music. We urge people to join us and listen to their friends and neighbors providing a festive atmosphere that will help prepare everyone for Christmas.”

Chambers said the band will hold two raffles with a special prize – the ability for the winners to lead the band in one number and play with the performers.

One raffle will be open to all children in the audience, who will receive a Jeep duck, which have become popular. These are rubber ducks, which have encouraging messages on the chest and are meant to serve as a random act of kindness when they are placed on that brand of vehicle. For purposes of this concert, the ducks will be numbered, and the band will pick five during the concert.

The children holding those five will then be invited to the stage to play the sleigh bells on the closing song “Sleigh Ride.” This idea has a two-fold benefit of creating additional music for the song but also not requiring a lot of advanced knowledge by the child about the instrument.

The second raffle will be for adults, who will have an opportunity to purchase a ticket for a chance to conduct the band during “Sleigh Ride.” The revenue will serve as a fundraiser for the band. In addition, the winner will receive a gift as a thank you for leading the band in the song.

During the concert, the band will also invite the audience to sing along as the musicians play a medley of five or six Christmas tunes. The concert program will contain the words to the songs.

Besides “Sleigh Ride,” the songs the band will play will be different from prior Christmas concerts. Chambers said that is intentional to keep the Christmas concert from being repetitive from one year to the next. But he emphasizes that the caliber of songs will remain extremely strong and pleasing to the audience.

One of the songs the band will play is a “Nutcracker” suite, which will include eight short movements. Another song, “Troika,” is a Russian Christmas tune. “We are thrilled to incorporate the audience in meaningful ways in this concert and are excited to see the outcome,” Chambers said. “Connecting with community members is extremely important to us because they support us so well. We look forward to seeing everyone.”

The songs for this concert are:

• "Fanfare Preludes on Joy to the World” arranged by James Curnow

• "Vaughan Williams Christmas” by Ralph Vaughan Williams

• "O Magnum Mysterium” by Morten Lauridsen

• "Emmanuel Variants” by Robert Foster

• "Home for Christmas” arranged by John Higgins

• "Troika” arranged by Curnow

• "Suite from the Nutcracker” arranged by Curnow

• "Stars and Stripes for Christmas” by Foster

• "Christmas Sing-A-Long” arranged by James Ployar

• "Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson

Chambers is also excited because the band’s size is growing. He said the band now stands at 55 members.

“We are creating a culture of family and friendship, and I think that resonates with musicians who are seeking an outlet for their hobby,” he said. “We are focused on performing at a high level, but we are going to have a lot of fun in the process. One of our musicians has had such a great time that she told her friend about it and that person has joined us.”

The band’s other concerts this season will be “An Evening with Tony and Oscar” Tuesday, March 3, at Chuckey-Doak High School and “A Symphonic Spring” Tuesday, May 12, at Niswonger Performing Arts Center.

To learn more about the band and make donations, please visit  www.tucommunityband.org. Additional information about the university is available at  www.tusculum.edu.