'Sounds of Christmas' concert at North Idaho College this weekend
North Idaho College student Fifer Bernhardt performs onstage at NIC’s "Sounds of Christmas" concert Dec. 9, 2023, at the Boswell Hall Schuler Performing Arts Center on NIC’s Coeur d’Alene campus. This year's performances will be Saturday and Sunday.
Photo courtesy of North Idaho College
The North Idaho College Music Department will host its annual "Sounds of Christmas" concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Boswell Hall Schuler Performing Arts Center, 880 W. Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene.
The free shows are open to the public and will include performances by the NIC Cardinal Chorale and the NIC Wind Symphony.
The NIC Cardinal Chorale, under the direction of NIC assistant music professor Cindy Dicken, will open the program with “Carol of the Bells.”
The concert will continue with Norman Luboff’s arrangement of the Polish carol “Still, Still, Still” along with performances of “A Spotless Rose” by Herbert Howells, Scott Dicken’s arrangement of “Welcome Christmas + Where Are You Christmas?” and Mac Huff’s arrangement of “The Chanukah Song (We Are Lights)” written by Stephen Schwartz.
“We’re really excited to get up there and perform for the community,” Dicken said. “The holidays are such a special time and sharing the music that we’ve worked so hard on is a great way to celebrate.”
The chorale’s performance concludes with Kirby Shaw’s arrangement of “O Holy Night.”
The NIC Wind Symphony, under the direction of NIC assistant music professor David Blink, opens its performance with “Selections from 'The Polar Express'” arranged by Michael Story.
The symphony will continue the concert with “Selections from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'” arranged by Michael Brown along with performances of “Away in the Manger,” “The 12 Days of Christmas” and “Fantasia on Silent Night.”
“I’m excited to experience this community holiday tradition in Coeur d’Alene for the first time,” Blink said. “We hope to see people come and enjoy some of the hits from ‘The Polar Express’ and ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ along with other seasonal favorites.”
The Wind Symphony will conclude its performance with “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson.
An audience singalong will close out the program.
The Cardinal Chorale and the NIC Wind Symphony are open to community members and NIC students. Contact Dicken at cindy.dicken@nic.edu for information about the Cardinal Chorale. For details about the NIC Wind Symphony, contact Blink at david.blink@nic.edu.