When the UGA Performing Arts Center presented its inaugural season 25 years ago, one of the first ensembles to grace the Hodgson Concert Hall stage was the internationally celebrated King’s Singers. Their popularity in Athens only increased with subsequent visits. On Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m., they will appear once again with a program of jolly, evocative seasonal music—and plenty of surprises.
The Grammy-winning a cappella group, founded in 1968, has rejuvenated itself over the decades with new members and an astoundingly broad repertoire. Their discography increased this year with the release of Christmas Carols with the King’s Singers, a 25-track Signum Classics collection. This Athens concert will include selections from that album, along with pieces spanning centuries and continents.
“If you are a singer of any kind—be that in a choir, as a soloist, in a professional group, or if you simply like a singsong in the shower or after a glass of wine—the chances are that Christmas music is in your blood,” the group writes. “Even if you’re not vocally inclined, choral music still lies at the heart of many people’s Christmases. For the six of us, festive carols and songs are part of the soundtracks of our lives and have been since childhood.”
The program ends with a section called “Music for Festive Cheer.”
“From our ever-growing library of seasonal close harmony arrangements, we will select songs from the pop, jazz, and folk worlds to close the concert in style,” the ensemble says. Whether it’s glitzy American Christmas songs or something smoother, perhaps even from the Southern Hemisphere, we promise to include a song or two which will leave you smiling, and perhaps get your foot tapping.”
The King’s Singers performance is part of the UGA Performing Arts Center’s 2021 Holiday Music Festival, which concludes Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. with Bluegrass & Christmas, a concert by Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.
In honor of the Performing Arts Center’s 25th anniversary, 25 tickets are available for each UGA Presents performance for just $25.
To learn more about UGA Performing Arts Center events, visit pac.uga.edu.
For a complete list of UGA Presents performances, visit https://pac.uga.edu/organizer/uga-presents.
Three Ways to Order
- Purchase tickets online at pac.uga.edu.
- Call the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 706-542-4400, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Visit the UGA Performing Arts Center box office, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (five-minute parking is available in the drop off circle at the Performing Arts Center for purchasing or picking up tickets.)
COVID protocols
For information about the Performing Arts Center’s COVID-19 protocols, visit pac.uga.edu/safety-first. Flexible ticketing will be in place for all performances occurring through December 2021. Patrons may exchange tickets for another performance (including those in spring 2022) or receive a full refund until noon on the day of the performance, if occurring on a weekday, or by Friday at 5 p.m. if occurring on a weekend.
