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BIG List of December Choral Events in Iowa

Heartland Youth Choir, http://joinhyc.org/

It's the perfect month for a choral concert, and Iowa's artists have been hard at work preparing. From university concerts to madrigal dinners to Handel in Clinton and Cedar Rapids and an Iowa premiere in Grinnell, here's what I hope will become a complete list.  I'm sure I've missed things, so please let me know of omissions or corrections (at choraliowa@iowapublicradio.org). The goal is to include everyone!

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1st

* 1:00 PM in Dubuque - Holiday Family Concert- Dubuque Chorale Children's Choir, Heartland Ballet, Rita Harvey, Dubuque Symphony, and more, Five Flags Theater, Dubuque

* 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM in Cedar Falls   - UNI Varsity Men's Glee Club Christmas Variety Show - 2:30 p.m., Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA Saturday, December 1 — 7:30 p.m., Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls 

 
 
* 3:00 PM in Ames Winter Concert - Ames Children's Choir. Collegiate United Methodist Church, Ames. 

 
 
* 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM in Waverly "The Weary World Rejoices": Christmas with Wartburg: The 71st annual Christmas with Wartburg brings together five choirs, wind ensemble, and chamber orchestra to provide heartwarming music and traditional carols accompanied by inspiring visuals. Neumann Auditorium, Wartburg College, Waverly

* 4:00 PM in Fairfield - "Arise, Shine! A Service of Lessons and Carols - Christmas with Iowa Wesleyan" - Featuring over 140 musicians from Southeast Iowa including the Iowa Wesleyan Choir, Primae Voces, The Mt. Pleasant Chorale, the Southeast Iowa Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Acappella Women’s Ensemble and Choral Musicians from Burlington and Fairfield High Schools. Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, Fairfield.

 
* 6:30 PM in IndianolaSimpson College Madrigal Dinner. Great Hall at Simpson College, 630 N. C St., Indianola

 
* 7:00 PM in Cedar Rapids - Coe College Concert Choir. Sinclair Auditorium, Coe College, Cedar Rapids.

* 7:00 PM in Des Moines   - Drake Christmas Madrigal Dinners. Saturday, December 1, 7:00 pm, and Sunday, December 2, 5:00 p.m.  

* 7:30 PM in Iowa City - Voices of Soul Winter Concert, Iowa Memorial Union, University of Iowa, Iowa City.

* 7:30 PM in Decorah - Christmas at Luther– Six choirs under the direction of Andrew Last '97, Mark Potvin '01, Jennaya Robison '96, and Jill Wilson; Luther Ringers led by college organist Gregory Peterson '83; Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Baldwin; along with audience singing. Center for Faith and Life, Luther College, Decorah, IA  .Saturday, December 1 — 7:30 p.m.Sunday, December 2 — 2:30 p.m.  

 
 
* 7:30 PM in Dubuque - Holiday Concert- Dubuque Chorale, Heartland Ballet, Rita Harvey, Dubuque Symphony, and more, Five Flags Theater, Dubuque
 
 

 

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2nd

* 2:00 PM in Clinton - Handel's "Messiah" - RiverChor and guest singers from the Clinton area will perform Handel’s Messiah 2:00 pm at Zion Lutheran Church, 439 3rd Avenue South in Clinton.  The choir will be accompanied by an orchestra made up of members of the Clinton High School Orchestra and the Clinton Symphony Orchestra; the performance is under the direction of Dr. Rob Engelson, former chair of the music department of Ashford University’s Clinton campus.  The performance is free and open to the public. It continues an annual tradition in Clinton going back 31 years.

* 2:00 PM in Mason City -  "Love and Joy to All" - North Iowa Choral SocietyNorth Iowa Community Auditorium, Mason City.

* 2:30 PM in Decorah Christmas at Luther– Six choirs under the direction of Andrew Last '97, Mark Potvin '01, Jennaya Robison '96, and Jill Wilson; Luther Ringers led by college organist Gregory Peterson '83; Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Baldwin; along with audience singing. Center for Faith and Life, Luther College, Decorah, IA  
 

* 2:30 PM in Cedar Rapids Christmas with Chorale Midwest- Chorale Midwest, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 857 3rd St., Cedar Rapids

 

* 3:00 PM in Urbandale Winter Concert - Urbandale High School's Concert Choir, Bass Choir, Treble Choir, and Urbandale Singers - Urbandale Performing Arts Center, Urbandale.

 
* 3:00 PM in Ames - Iowa State University Holiday Festival featuring all four Iowa State Choirs and the ISU Symphony Orchestra, Stephens Auditorium, Ames.
 
 
 

* 3:00 PM in Waverly - "The Weary World Rejoices": Christmas with Wartburg: The 71st annual Christmas with Wartburg brings together five choirs, wind ensemble, and chamber orchestra to provide heartwarming music and traditional carols accompanied by inspiring visuals. Neumann Auditorium, Warburg College, Waverly, IA 

 

* 5:00 PM in Des MoinesDrake Christmas Madrigal Dinners, Drake Christmas Madrigal Dinners Saturday, December 1, 7:00 pm, and Sunday, December 2, 5:00 p.m.  

* 7:00 PM in Mount Pleasant- "Arise, Shine! A Service of Lessons and Carols - Christmas with Iowa Wesleyan" - Featuring over 140 musicians from Southeast Iowa including the Iowa Wesleyan Choir, Primae Voces, The Mt. Pleasant Chorale, the Southeast Iowa Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Acappella Women’s Ensemble and Choral Musicians from Burlington and Fairfield High Schools. Iowa Wesleyan Chapel Auditorium, Mount Pleasant.

* 7:30 PM in Dubuque - Holiday Concert- Dubuque Chorale, Heartland Ballet, Rita Harvey, Dubuque Symphony, and more, Five Flags Theater, Dubuque

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 3

* 7:30  PM in Iowa City - Masterworks Concert  - Southwest Iowa Chorale Fall Concert. Iowa City High School Choirs and Orchestras, Opstad Auditorium, 1900 Morningside Dr., Iowa City

* 7:30 PM in Cedar Rapids Christmas with Chorale Midwest- Chorale Midwest, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 857 3rd St., Cedar Rapids

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5

* 7:00 PM in Fort Dodge "Sounds of the Season" - Iowa Central Community College, Decker Auditorium, 1 Triton Circle, Fort Dodge. 

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6th

* 7:00 PM in Waverly - Festeburg Christmas Concert, Chapel, Warburg, College, Waverly.

* 7:00 PM in Fort Dodge - "Sounds of the Season" - Iowa Central Community College, Decker Auditorium, 1 Triton Circle, Fort Dodge. 

* 7:30 PM in Iowa City - Winter with West - Iowa City West High School Auditioned Choirs - St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Iowa City

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7th 

* 7:00 PM in Sioux City - Madrigal Dinner - Sioux City East High School Chamber Choir - Morningside Lutheran Church, 700 S. Martha St., Sioux City,

 
* 7:00 PM in Fort Dodge "Sounds of the Season" - Iowa Central Community College, Decker Auditorium, 1 Triton Circle, Fort Dodge. 

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8th

* 3:00 PM in Mount Pleasant  - "Holly Daze" - Southeast Iowa Symphony and chorus - Chapel Auditorium, Iowa Wesleyan, Mount Pleasant

* 7:00 PM in Sioux City - Madrigal Dinner - Sioux City East High School Chamber Choir - Morningside Lutheran Church, 700 S. Martha St., Sioux City,

* 7:00 PM in Des Moines -  Des Moines Choral Society Christmas -  Dr. James Rodde conducts a mix of "great works and holiday favorites," including a new piece by Des Moines composer Elaine Hagenberg, which Choral Iowa covered here. St. Ambrose Cathedral, 607 High Street, Des Moines.

* 7:00 PM in Council Bluffs - Winter Choral Program at Iowa Western Community College on Saturday, December 8 at 7 pm. Free admission to the concert at the Arts Center Main Stage, Council Bluffs Campus.

* 7:00 PM in Neola - "Christmas Cantata" concert with the Neola Community Choir, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Neola

* 7:00 PM in Atlantic - Madrigal Dinner - Atlantic High School Choirs - Atlantic High School, 1201 E. 4th St., Atlantic, IA

* 7:30 PM in Fairfield - "Follow that Star" - Chamber Singers of Southeast Iowa resent their holiday concerts, "Follow That Star," on Saturday and Sunday, December 8 and 9 at 7:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Fairfield, IA. The concert will feature works by Orlando Gibbons, Johann Michael Bach, Hugo Distler, Eric Whitacre, and Ola Gjeilo, among others.

* 7:30 PM in Cedar Rapids - "Holiday Handel" -Handel's Messiah, Part 1, performed by the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale directed by Dr. Gerald Kreitzer, Director of Music Activities at Mount Mercy University. First Lutheran Church, 1000 Third Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids.

* 7:30 PM in Ames "Winter Wishes" - Ames Chamber Artists. Conducted by David Johnson. This concert blends a variety of music from spirituals like "Mary Had a Baby", to classical such as Hassler's "Missa Secunda" to the more modern Spanish "Carols and Lullabies" by Susa. Collegiate Presbyterian Church, 159 N. Sheldon Ave., Ames.

* 7:30 PM in Indianola - "Lessons and Carols" - Simpson College, Smith Chapel, Indianola.

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SUNDAY, December 9th

* 2:00 PM in Grinnell - "Considering Matthew Shepard" - the Iowa premiere of the 2016 oratorio by Craig Hella Johnson. Grinnell Oratorio Society led by John Rommereim. Bucksbaum 104 - Sebring-Lewis Hall, Bucksbaum 100 - Rotunda, Grinnell campus.

* 2:00 PM in Cedar Falls - "The Bells of Christmaswith Bel Canto Cedar Valley at Hearst Center, 304 W. Seerley Blvd., Cedar Falls

* 2:00 PM in Indianola - "Lessons and Carols" - Simpson College, Smith Chapel, Indianola.

* 3:00 PM in Ames - "Silent Night" - Ames Choral Society, conducgted by Steve Hoifeldt, with Barb Evenson, accompanist. Celebrates the holiday season with songs of Chanukah and Christmas. 2018 marks the 200th anniversary of the beloved Austrian Christmas song, Stille Nacht (Silent Night) and the 100th anniversary of the ending of WWI. St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 209 Colorado Ave., Ames. 

* 4:30 PM in Des Moines - "WinterSongs" - All six of Heartland Youth Choir's six ensembles will perform. That's 170 singers, and they'll all come on stage for the finale! It's at Sheslow Auditorium, Drake University, Des Moines.

* 7:00 PM in Atlantic - Madrigal Dinner - Atlantic High School Choirs - Atlantic High School, 1201 E. 4th St., Atlantic, IA

* 7:30 PM in Fairfield - "Follow that Star" - Chamber Singers of Southeast Iowa resent their holiday concerts, "Follow That Star," on Saturday and Sunday, December 8 and 9 at 7:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Fairfield, IA. The concert will feature works by Orlando Gibbons, Johann Michael Bach, Hugo Distler, Eric Whitacre, and Ola Gjeilo, among others.

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 10th

* 7:00 PM in Story City -  Holiday Concert, Roland-Story High School Bands and Choirs, High School Auditorium, 1009 Story St., Story City

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12th

* 7:00 PM in Carroll - Christmas Concert - Concert and Jazz Choirs, Kuemper Catholic High School, 109 S. Clark St.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13th

* 7:00 PM in Centerville - Winter Concert - Seymour High School Ensembles. Simon Estes Auditorium, Centerville, IA.

* 7:00 PM in Le Mars - Christmas Vespers - Gehlen Catholic School 7-12 Choir Department, St. Joseph Catholic Church. 605 Plymouth St. NE, Le Mars, IA.

* 7:00 PM in Sioux City  - Winter Concert  - Sioux City East High SChool choirs. Eppley Auditorium, Morningside College, Sioux City.

* 7:30 PM in Iowa City  - Winter Choral Concert - Iowa City West High, non-auditioned choirs, Arganbright Auditorium, 2901 Melrose, Iowa City

 7:30 PM in West Des Moines - Winter Concert - Valley High School choirs. Staplin Performing Arts Center, at Valley High School, 3650 Woodland Ave. West Des Moines.

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14th

* 7:30 PM in Iowa City - "Holiday Voices" - Chamber Singers of Iowa City led by David Puderbaugh, Old Brick, Iowa City

* 7:30 PM in Des Moines  - "Jingle All the Way" - Des Moines Gay Men's Choir - Jingle All the Way, Plymouth Church, 4126 Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312

* 7:30 PM in Davenport - "A Nova Christmas" - Nova Singers. St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Davenport. Watch: Artistic director and conductor Laura L. Lane leads the Nova Singers in a section from modern American classic, Conrad Susa's Carols and Lullabies:

 

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15th
 

* 2:00 PM in Red Oak  -  "Shining Brighter This Holiday Season" - Red Oak Community High School Christmas Extravaganza - Wilson Performing Arts Center, 3000 Commerce Drive, Red Oak.  
 

 
* 7:00 PM in Mason City - "Rose of Christmas" -  Una Vocis Choral Ensemble. Holy Family Catholic Church, Mason City. 

* 7:30 PM in Iowa City - "Beautiful Things: A Winter Concert" - The Quire of Eastern Iowa. Zion Lutheran Church, 310 N. Johnson St., Iowa City.

 
* 7:30 PM in Galesburg, IL - "A Nova Christmas"– Nova Singers. First Lutheran Church, Galesburg, IL
 

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16th

* 4:00 PM in Des Moines - "Christmas with Vocal Arts" - Des Moines Vocal Arts.St. Augustine Catholic Church, 545 42nd St., Des Moines.
 

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 17th

7:00 PM in Bettendorf Holiday Concert with Pleasant Valley High School Choirs. Pleasant Valley High School Theatre, 604 Belmont Rd., Bettendorf, IA, 52772

* 7:00 PM in Davenport Christmas Concert with Assumption High School Choirs. Sacred Heart Cathedral, 422 E. 1oth St., Davenport, IA. , 604 Belmont Rd., Bettendorf, IA

* 7:30 PM in Cedar Rapids - Winter Concert with Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School's Bella Voce, Varsity Singers, Concert Choir, Symphony Orchestra, and Meistersingers. Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School Auditorium

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22nd

* 7:00 PM in Cedar Rapids Christmas Concert with Vocal Artists of Iowa - St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids. 

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23nd

* 2:00 PM in Iowa City Christmas Concert with Vocal Artists of Iowa - St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Iowa City. 

Barney Sherman is a Senior Music Producer and Classical Music Host