MACON – The Grand Opera House and Mercer University’s Townsend School of Music will host two “sold out” performances of A Grand Mercer Christmas, a free concert for the community, on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Any unclaimed tickets will be released to the public beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Patrons interested in receiving unclaimed tickets must come in person on Thursday to The Grand box office, located at 651 Mulberry St. Quantity is limited to four per patron, for as long as tickets last. Because this concert will be recorded for television broadcast, children under the age of five will not be allowed inside the theatre. Seating is general admission on a first-come, first served basis. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and patrons are strongly encouraged to arrive no later than 7 p.m. to find a seat.
A Grand Mercer Christmas, which will be recorded live by Emmy Award-winning Brandenburg Productions for broadcast on Georgia Public Broadcasting and PBS stations across the nation during the 2013 holiday season, will feature two internationally acclaimed ensembles: the Mercer Singers, conducted by Dr. Stanley Roberts, and the students and faculty of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings. Acclaimed violinist, Macon native and Center for Strings founder Robert McDuffie will serve as master of ceremonies.
Holiday favorites alongside new selections composed especially for this concert make the program fun and interesting for all ages and musical tastes, from the traditional “What Child Is This” and “What Sweeter Music” to American composer Matt Catingub’s thrilling “Christmas Medley for Strings.” Mercer Singers and the McDuffie Center String Ensemble join forces to premiere two new orchestrations by composer Randol Bass: “Glory to God” and “Exultate Justi.” The concert also spotlights acclaimed violinists Robert McDuffie and Amy Schwartz Moretti, director of the Center for Strings and the Caroline Paul King Chair in Violin, in a performance of J.S. Bach’s “Concerto for Two Violins” with the ensemble.
A Grand Mercer Christmas is one of the most highly anticipated events in the history of the Townsend School of Music. This concert and television broadcast will bring unparalleled national exposure for Mercer University and Macon. For more information about Mercer University please visit mercer.edu.
About Townsend School of Music
Mercer University’s Townsend School of Music, the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings and the Townsend-McAfee Institute for Graduate Studies offer undergraduate and graduate professional music studies in a comprehensive university environment. Townsend is nationally recognized for its outstanding faculty, award-winning students, performance ensembles and state-of-the-art facilities. The McDuffie Center, a special institute within Townsend School of Music, is a highly selective program that prepares string students for success in the real world. Students study with some of America’s most renowned string musicians, receiving music instruction of conservatory quality, while earning an academically well-rounded education from a comprehensive, nationally recognized university. For more information and a complete listing of this season’s concerts please visit mercer.edu/music/ or call (478) 301-5751.
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