'Welcome Yule!' Choral Arts' Christmas concert tonight

IF YOU GOWhat: Choral Arts' "Welcome, Yule!"When: 7:30 tonight.Where: Second Presbyterian Church, 700 Pine St.Admission: $15 adults, $5 students with ID, free for ages 12 and younger.Website: www.choralartsofchattanooga.org.

Tonight's holiday celebration with Choral Arts of Chattanooga will offer Christmas carols from around the world when the ensemble presents "Welcome, Yule!" at Second Presbyterian Church downtown.

Choral Arts is a chorus of 26 experienced local singers whose mission is to offer the finest in classical and contemporary choral literature.

According to director Keith Reas, the singers will present a group of Advent pieces composed by German romantics Mendelssohn, Rheinberger and Brahms. They will be followed by a setting of Pachelbel's "Magnificat." Reas said the first half also will include a set of four Christmas motets: "O Magnum Mysterium," "Quem Vidistis," "Videntes Stellam" and "Hodie Christus Natus Est."

After intermission, the singers will open their second half with Kirke Mecham's "Seven Joys of Christmas."

'It's a piece I conducted about 20 years ago, and I've been wanting to do it again," said Reas. "It's a fun piece, and the choir is enjoying it."

The seven movements combine Christmas carols from around the world. The first six are "This Is the Truth Sent From Above," "Ding Dong Merrily on High," "Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine," "Patapan," "New Year Song" (a traditional Japanese New Year's carol), and "Fum Fum Fum."

"The last (seventh) movement is a piece that is 'quod libet,' meaning it combines a lot of melodies into one piece. It is based on the English carol 'God Bless the Master of This House,' " he said.

Before the concert concludes,the singers will present what Reas termed "a really fun piece" that is a musical journey through the 12 days of Christmas.

"Each day has its own carol that is set in a different historical musical style," he explained.

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