The Department of Creative and Performing Arts BA (Honours) Music will celebrate its annual Christmas concert on Thursday, 3 December in the College Street Chapel at 7 pm.
The WIT Christmas concert is a free event, open to the public that offers a mix of non-Christmassy music as well as a few Christmas tunes.
People of Waterford are invited to come along and listen to a night of music and song from the most promising musicians in the region. Donations will be taken in aid of Focus Ireland.
Students in WIT’s music school and undergraduate students on the music degree will showcase their talent, performing a wide-ranging programme from Mozart to a choral arrangement of Metallica. There will be performances from the WIT orchestra and ensembles, including traditional, guitar, jazz and the chamber choir.
WIT Orchestra
The WIT orchestra comprises over forty musicians including undergraduates from the BA (Hons) Music and students of the WIT Music School, under the directorship of Stephen Mackey.
They will perform Beethoven Symphony no. 6., Mendelssohn Violin Concerto ( andante ) with soloist Eimear Heeney, and some Stephen Sondheim with soloist Tadgh Brennan.
WIT Chamber choir
The orchestra together with WIT Chamber Choir, directed by Bridget Knowles, and accompanied by Dr. Marian Ingoldsby will perform Mozart ‘Laudate Dominum’ and the choir will perform arrangements of Keane’s ‘Somewhere Only We Know’, Metallica’s ‘Nothing Else Matters’ and Pentatonix ‘White Winter Hymnal.’
WIT traditional ensemble
The WIT traditional ensemble directed by uileann piper Dr Jimmy O’Brien Moran will play the tunes of old Irish collections along with their own take on standard traditional repertoire. The ensemble performs a selection from lively jigs and reels to the beautiful slow airs of old Irish tradition featuring banjo, flutes, mandolin, piano and uilleann pipes.
WIT guitar ensemble
The WIT guitar ensemble led by Irish guitar virtuoso Michael O’Toole is an exciting and alternative approach to instrumental music. Performing their take on contemporary music, their eclectic repertoire creates a unique soundscape that is an unmissable experience for all music lovers.
WIT jazz ensemble
The WIT jazz ensemble plays a collection of jazz compositions from a variety of styles including swing, bebop, latin and modern. It is led by accomplished composer Philip Collins who has brought his own style and influence to this ensemble through his arrangement of standards from the repertoire.
Hot Club de WIT
Hot Club de WIT is a vibrant new group led by guitarist Dylan Bible combining acoustic guitars, violin, clarinet, double bass, electric bass and vocals to create an infectious classic Hot Club vibe. Their up-tempo and dynamic sound is based on various musical styles encapsulated by the “gypsy-sound”, inspired by Django Reinhardt’s “Jazz Manouche” style with a modern twist.