The bitter cold can’t penetrate the glow inside Macky Auditorium during the annual Holiday Festival.
As the house lights rise, so do the audience members’ voices. Together, the audience and choir sing holiday songs, the multitude of voices resonating within the stone building.
The Holiday Festival is Dec. 4 through 6, and based on Friday night’s performance, it will be the perfect way for many people to start the holiday season.
“The great music, spectacular array of wonderful performers, and festive decorations in Macky are all reasons why the Holiday Festival sells out every year,” said Laima Gaigalas, the Marketing and PR Manager for CU Presents.
An evening at the Holiday Festival includes a wide variety of performances. Some of the groups performing are the orchestra, a chorus, an African Ensemble and even a jazz ensemble.
“The Holiday Festival has many different parts of the College of Music performing together. It is a good way to see a large variety of groups from within the College of Music,” Gaigalas said.
With so many different musical groups, one might expect the evening to be a choppy mix of pieces being stopped and started. Instead, each piece flowed smoothly to the next.
The evening program included classic holiday carols as well as unfamiliar; all of them holiday themed.
“The African piece was fantastic.” said Emily Hoke, a 23-year-old audience member, referring to the piece titled “Betelehemu” performed by the African Drumming Ensemble and the Holiday Festival Chorus.
Others agree.
“It was fun,” said Hoke about the night’s performance.
Gaigalas said that over 8,000 people attend the Holiday Festival every year.
“It is captivating to see such a large number of people take part in an event like this,” Hoke said.
According to Gaigalas the festival has been going on for over fifty years.
“It is very much a holiday tradition for Boulder and CU,” Gaigalas said.
Whether attending for the first time or the fiftieth time, the Holiday Festival will put the viewer in the holiday spirit. The event is a night of unpretentious, beautiful fun.
“Each year we present this program as our special gift to the community,” said Daniel Sher, the Dean of the College of Music in the festival program.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Mary Rochelle at Mary.rochelle@colorado.edu.
