Settle into the season with the Michigan State University College of Music’s beloved holiday tradition, Peace, Joy & Songs of the Season. This year, downtown Lansing is the place to be when the concert is held in the beautiful St. Mary Cathedral on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 3 p.m.

Performances include selections from Messiah by George Frideric Handel featuring the triumphant “Hallelujah Chorus,” and Francis Poulenc’s most celebrated work, Gloria. MSU Professor of Music and Associate Director of Choral Programs Jonathan Reed will conduct the MSU Symphony Orchestra and more than 150 vocalists from the MSU Community Music School’s Choral Union and the College of Music’s University Chorale. The performance will include MSU vocal arts soloists Shannon Crowley and Michaela Larsen, sopranos, Megan Magsarili, mezzo-soprano, and Nickolas Hudak, tenor.

This annual holiday tradition enjoyed a 26-year run at the College of Music from 1978-2003. It was revived and extended beginning in 2015 with the Christmas portions of the Messiah remaining a central part of the repertoire. The inclusion of Poulenc’s Gloria brings additional holiday joy to the performance.

“Gloria enjoyed almost immediate success, although there were those who thought the whimsical nature of some movements were sacrilegious,” Reed said. “As one of Poulenc’s dear friends said about him, ‘There is about him at the same time something of a monk and something of a street urchin.’”

Located in downtown Lansing just north of the Capitol Building at 219 Seymour Ave, St. Mary Cathedral is a Norman gothic style building listed with the National Register of Historic Places. Parking is free on Sunday and located in lots adjacent to the cathedral and on nearby streets. 

This performance is generously sponsored by a donor family with the hope that attendees enjoy the concert and reflect upon its message of peace and joy.

Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors (age 60 and older), and $12 for students with ID and anyone under 18, and can be purchased at the College of Music Box Office: 517-353-5342 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Tickets can also be purchased at the door if available. Seating is general admission.