Polk State College Music Department to Present Holiday Concerts

The Polk State College Music Department will present a pair of concerts titled “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” on Dec. 3 and 4 at 2:30 p.m. at the Winter Haven Fine Arts Theatre.

The concerts are free and open to the public, and promise a rousing mix of holiday favorites and lesser-known works, first-time performances and a few surprises.

Performing in the concerts will be the College’s Concert Band, Strings, Women’s Chorus, Brass Ensemble, Concert Band, Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo and Concert Choir. Also performing will be the newly formed Guitar Ensemble, directed by Professor David Fischer.

Among the many works included in the playlist for the concerts are “March of the Nutcracker,” “Canticle of Mary,” “Christmastime is Here,” “Hanukkah Highlights,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “Here We Come A-Wassailing.”

The concerts will also include a choral rendition of “The Son of Mary,” arranged for female voices by Polk State music students Brittoni Bowen and Britney Gotsch, both of Winter Haven.

Polk State College Music Department Coordinator John Anderson said the events will also feature two pieces arranged exclusively for the combined Concert Band and Concert Choir by Band Director Dr. Chris Sharp, an award-winning composer and arranger. Those pieces include “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “O Come, Let Us Adore Him.”

“These are brand-new and will serve as the grand finale,” Sharp said.

Anderson said the concerts will be a fun, family-oriented way to enjoy one of the holiday season’s simplest pleasures – music.

“The concerts will be fast-paced events that move quickly from one performance to the next. There are many surprises packed into this program,” he said. “There will be music of all types and styles performed in sometimes unconventional ways. There is even a possibility of a visitor from the North Pole.”