Hilaritas returns

Clad in their Christmas costumes of choice, about 80 UA students will line the stage Nov. 30 and Dec. 2 to usher in the holiday season for Tuscaloosa residents and UA students.

For the 39th consecutive year, Tuscaloosa residents and UA students will fill Moody Concert Hall to take part in the School of Music's annual Hilaritas Christmas concert put on by the University Singers and the Alabama Jazz Ensemble.

"You'll see people just come up with their own thing; you'll see angels, Santa Clauses. You'll see people dressed as packages and presents and Christmas trees and just whatever kind of things we can come up with," said Cody Goss, the assistant conductor of the University Singers and a doctoral student in choral conducting.

"It seems to get more interesting every year. We just try to make it as fun and festive as we possibly can."

Joel Harris, a junior majoring in jazz studies and a member of the Jazz Ensemble, said he thinks the costumes add to the show.

"I think it makes it more accessible and just more appealing to the audience," Harris said. "Because you know everybody sees us up there in tuxes and suits and stuff all the time, so it's kind of cool just to see everybody let their hair down and be college students up on stage for once."

A Tuscaloosa tradition

The event has been a Christmas season staple in Tuscaloosa since 1969 when UA choral director Fred Prentice and UA jazz professor Steve Sample organized a Christmas concert that would bring Tuscaloosa residents together for years to come. Sample arranged many of the popular Christmas songs for choir and jazz ensemble.

Thirty-eight years later, John Ratledge, director of choral activities, and Tom Wolfe, associate dean of humanities and fine arts in the College of Arts and Sciences and director of jazz studies, are in charge of the popular Tuscaloosa event and continue to fill Moody Music Hall to capacity each year.

Wolfe said he has heard from members of the community that Hilaritas is an important event for them.

"I've had a lot of people tell me they look forward to this every year and that they use it to kick off the festivities for the whole month of December," Wolfe said. "And for many it's become a family tradition."

Lisa Tatum, a fourth-year music education major and member of the jazz ensemble, said she likes the tradition behind the concert.

"I think it's just really cool that this has been going on for the years and years that it has and that every year it has the same music arrangements," she said. "It's a great way to just see what the school of music has to offer and to get in the spirit of the holidays.

"It's just a tradition every year. It's not Christmas without Hilaritas."

'Tis the season

Wolfe said the event is perfect for bringing families together to usher in the holiday season.

"It brings in the entire community," Wolfe said. "We have everybody, because it's a very family friendly concert. We are glad to have them because we are there just to have fun and kick off the holiday spirit."

Goss said the concert is a community favorite and a great way to start celebrating.

"Hilaritas has been in this community since … the '60s, and of all the things we do over at the music department, more people will come to see this than anything," Goss said. "It just seems to really get the community's attention, and they enjoy the festive holiday and the Christmas music. It just seems to be something the community reaches out to, and it's a good way to kick off the Christmas season."

Something for everyone

Goss said he thinks the annual event is so popular because it appeals to everyone.

"In the music school we have a lot of things that are considered more academic or more fine, and it just doesn't appeal to everyone," he said. "But this is something we have every year that just appeals to the masses. Just about anyone can come in off of the street and they're going to have a good time at this concert. That's why it's so popular; I mean, we fill the hall every year with this, and I know of nothing else that we do that for."

Any music enthusiast will enjoy the concert, Goss said.

"It's a great way to start out the Christmas season," he said. "And it's just so appealing to everybody. You will have a great time if you go I think unless you just hate music altogether. I think no matter who you are it's going to appeal to you in some way. If you have any heart at all for Christmas and Christmas music you are going to enjoy it."

All three ensembles will perform their own variations on Christmas classics, adding to the variety of the music to be performed.

"What I do for my segment usually is I take a traditional Christmas song and arrange it in a jazz style," Wolfe said. "And then the choir may sing a traditional choir piece and so forth, so it's a really neat blend of a lot of different styles. So that's why it kind of speaks to everybody, no matter what age you are."

The 39th annual Hilaritas concert is Nov. 30 and Dec. 2 at Moody Concert Hall. Friday's performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday's will begin at 3 p.m. Tickets are $12 for floor seats and $8 for balcony seats for the general public, half price for students, children and seniors.

If you go…

What: Hilaritas

Where: Moody Concert Hall

When: Friday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m.

How much: $12 for floor and $8 for balcony for the general public and half price for students, children and seniors.