Christmas at the Alys

Enjoy Christmas at the Alys, a community celebration of the season, Tuesday, Nov. 29, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Students from local high school choirs will join UAB choirs in a performance filled with traditional holiday favorites and standard choral classics. The festive annual event is presented by the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Music.

The 7 p.m. performance is in UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $8; $5 for students and senior citizens. For tickets, call 205-975-2787 or visit AlysStephens.org.

Christmas at the Alys is a local tradition that started in 2001. Since that time, the concert has grown into a communitywide celebration of the holiday season, with cheerful songs and beautiful decorations sure to put everyone in the holiday spirit, says UAB Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music Brian Kittredge, DMA.

Students look forward to participating every year, says Helena High School Choral Director Alice LaGrone.

“This concert is one of the best ways to prepare your spirit for Christmas — with top-notch choirs performing beautiful and bright sounds of the season,” LaGrone said.

Participating is a wonderful experience for students, says Zachary Banks, Ramsay International Baccalaureate High School choral director. They get to perform in a state-of-the-art facility, meet and sing along with their peers, all while spreading holiday cheer through song.

Featured choirs include the UAB Concert Choir, conducted by Kittredge; Helena High School Chamber Choir, conducted by LaGrone; Ramsay High School Concert Choir, conducted by Banks; John Carroll Catholic High School Honors Mixed Ensemble, conducted by Ginny Hughes; Spain Park High School Choir, conducted by Jim Schaeffer; and Thompson High School Harmonettes and Madrigals, conducted by Charles Henry.

Accompanying the choirs are the UAB Trumpet Ensemble, conducted by James Zingara, DMA, and the UAB Flute Ensemble, conducted by Lisa Wienhold.