Chattanooga Music Club's free annual organ concert is coming up at Memorial Auditorium

Luke Staislunas will be the featured concert organist at the Chattanooga Music Club's Holiday Spectacular on Tuesday night.
Luke Staislunas will be the featured concert organist at the Chattanooga Music Club's Holiday Spectacular on Tuesday night.

If you go

› What: Chattanooga Music Club Holiday Spetacular› Where: Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave.› When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14› Admission: Free› For more information: 423-529-0315

photo Luke Staislunas will be the featured concert organist at the Chattanooga Music Club's Holiday Spectacular on Tuesday night.

Each November, the Chattanooga Music Club gives a holiday gift to the city: its Holiday Spectacular in Memorial Auditorium.

This free concert always brings together some of the region's best local talent with a guest organist who performs on the auditorium's historic Austin Pipe Organ, which the Music Club restored. Even Santa stops by for some holiday fun before the night is over.

The 2017 Holiday Spectacular is set for Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. at the auditorium. WRCB anchor Greg Glover will emcee the program, which will feature the MidSouth Community Band, led by Jim Souders, and Chattanooga Christian School concert choir, led by Paul Faulkner.

This is the second time MidSouth has performed at a CMC production, but its first on the holiday show. Souders says the 60-musician orchestra will present five numbers.

"We're doing one called 'Santa's Journey,' which is based on 'Joy to the World,' and we are playing 'Angels From the Realms of Glory.' Then we're doing 'A Most Wonderful Christmas,' which is a medley of different secular Christmas tunes, we're doing 'Sleigh Ride' and Leroy Anderson's 'Christmas Festival,'" the director lists.

The featured organ soloist will be Luke Staislunas, a junior majoring in organ at the University of Oklahoma, considered a rising star among instrumentalists. He will present a program of sacred and secular favorites.

Staislunas began playing piano at age 5, continuing until he had saved enough to purchase his own home organ in eighth grade.

At OU, he is studying classical and theatre organ, orchestral transcription, silent film and is active in the organ technology program, which is the only program of its kind in the United States.

This concert is free, but donations will be accepted by the CMC for ongoing maintenance of the Austin organ.

Upcoming Events