Santa Fe Desert Chorale’s Filmed 2023 Holiday Concert to be Broadcast Christmas Eve on New Mexico PBS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 2024: The Santa Fe Desert Chorale is thrilled to announce that New Mexico PBS will broadcast Candlelight Carols: A Glimpse of Snow and Evergreen on Tuesday, December 24, 2024 at 7 PM MT. This slightly shortened version of their live holiday concert performed last December will also be available to stream on the PBS app. Filmed in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the program includes music honoring the beauty of Santa Fe’s winter mountain landscape alongside beloved holiday carols.
Santa Fe Desert Chorale is one of the longest-running professional music organizations in New Mexico, as well as one of the most distinguished American professional chamber choirs. They bring together twenty-four of the top ensemble singers in the nation to sing under the direction of Artistic Director Joshua Habermann, who has led the ensemble since 2008. The Desert Chorale was thrilled to be joined once again by collaborative pianist Nathan Salazar for this holiday concert.
Program Repertoire
Where the Light Begins by Susan LaBarr (b. 1981)
little tree by Eric Whitacre (b. 1970)
O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943)
Nu Är Det Jul Igen, Traditional Swedish, arr. George/Habermann
Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul by Gustaf Nordqvist (1886–1949), arr. Davidson
O Jul Med Din Glede, Norwegian Carol, arr. Jennings
I Wonder as I Wander by John Jacob Niles (1892–1980), arr. Rutter
The First Noel, English Carol, arr. Forrest
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Hugh Martin (1914–2011), arr. Bradford
Sweet, Little Jesus Boy by Robert MacGimsey (1898–1979), arr. Gibb
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree by Elizabeth Poston (1905–1987)
Silent Night by Franz Xaver Gruber (1787–1863), arr. Kirchner
Vocal Artist Roster:
Biographies and headshots for the artists featured in this broadcast are available at desertchorale.org/about/our-people-winter-2023
Soprano:
Hayden Eberhart
Jennifer Perez
Savannah Porter
Kathryn Radakovich
Kathlene Ritch
Alissa Ruth Suver
Alto:
Sarah Brauer
Kerry Ginger
Dianna Grabowski
Jenna Hernandez McLean
Kristin Lawler
Sarah Nickerson
Tenor:
George Case
Elliott JG Encarnación
Erik Gustafson
David Kurtenbach Rivera
David Miranda
Bradley Naylor
Bass:
Steven Berlanga
Edmund Connolly
Stephen Michael Hanna
Harrison Hintzsche
Fernando Muñoz
Marques Jerrell Ruff
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Media Contacts: For more information, please contact Joanna Armstrong by email at joanna@desertchorale.org.
The Santa Fe Desert Chorale’s 2023 Winter Program was supported in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts. Funding is also provided by the City of Santa Fe Arts and Culture Department and the 1% Lodgers’ Tax. Santa Fe Desert Chorale thanks the following organizations for their ongoing support: New Mexico Bank & Trust, Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce, the Santa Fe New Mexican, Santa Fe Selection Travel Guide, and Thornburg Investment Management.
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The Vision of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale: Singing for our common humanity.
Mission Statement: The mission of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale is to excite, engage, and inspire diverse audiences with the beauty and power of great choral music.
About the Santa Fe Desert Chorale: Founded in 1982 by Lawrence “Larry” Bandfield, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale is one of the longest-running professional music organizations in New Mexico, as well as one of the most distinguished American professional chamber choirs. “The Santa Fe Desert Chorale [is] a top-notch, 24-voice group… comprising the crème de la crème of professional choral singers from coast to coast” (Dallas Morning News). Performing in historical venues such as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the Desert Chorale has become a centerpiece of the cultural life of Santa Fe. Their annual Summer Festival is one of the nation’s largest choral events.
Artistic Director Joshua Habermann has led the Chorale since 2008 in repertoire spanning seven centuries, from early polyphony to contemporary works. Habermann’s versatile programming sets the ensemble apart as “a rara avis in the choral music world” (Santa Fe New Mexican). The Chorale’s first commercial release, The Road Home, launched at No. 3 on the Billboard Classical Chart following a sold-out CD launch program in Santa Fe. The ensemble has traveled across the nation, performing in prominent conferences and cities such as Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The Desert Chorale had the honor of performing at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Salt Lake City in 2015 and will return to give the closing performance at the ACDA National Conference in Dallas in March 2025.
Throughout its history, the Chorale has maintained a commitment to give voice to music from Hispanic and Native American communities. Dedicated to advancing the composers of our time, the Chorale has commissioned over 30 new works, and several additional pieces have been given their world or American premieres by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale. The organization’s Commissioning Club selects and funds a new commission annually.
While nationally recognized, the Chorale prides itself on its strong relationships within the community of Northern New Mexico. Since 2016, the Chorale has hosted an annual community singing workshop, Santa Fe Sings!, bringing together music-lovers of all backgrounds to express themselves through song under the direction of Joshua Habermann. Through its Insights & Sounds program, the Chorale also presents free mini-concerts for children to introduce them to the beauty and power of great choral music, symposiums that gather experts for engaging dialogues through the lens of choral music, education workshops and masterclasses for local high school students, and more.
