BALTIMORE - The UMBC Concert Choir, directed by Phillip Collister, will present "Gloria in Excelsis Deo!" at 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 7 at Our Lady of Angels Chapel at Charlestown Retirement Community (710 Maiden Choice Lane). The concert will be repeated at 8 p.m. Monday, December 8 in the UMBC Fine Arts Recital Hall. Both concerts are open to the public, admission is $5 general, $3 for seniors and free for UMBC students.

The program includes holiday choral music for multiple choirs, brass and organ. Featured works include Daniel Pinkham's Christmas Cantata, Dominich Argento's Gloria, Michael Praetorius' In Dulci Jubilo and an arrangement of Christmas carols by Robert Shaw titled, The Many Moods of Christmas. Also on the program are works for brass by Giovanni Gabrieli and an organ work by Oliver Messien. Special guest artists include organist Kaori Hongo and The Bay Street Brass Works, a professional brass quintet based in Baltimore.

Phillip Collister is assistant professor of choral/vocal studies at UMBC. Now in his third year as a visiting professor, Dr. Collister also directs the UMBC Opera and teaches private voice. In addition to his duties at UMBC, he is music director at Roland Park Presbyterian Church and has performed with The Washington Bach Consort, The Washington Bach Sinfonia, the Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra and Maryland Chorus. He will make his debut with the Cathedral Choral Society next May.

BALTIMORE - The UMBC Concert Band, under the direction of Wayne Cameron, will present a free perfomance featuring Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10 in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. This concert is free and open to the public.

In addition to the Nutcracker Suite, the ensemble will play Rossini's William Tell Overature, Samuel Barber's Knoxville, Summer of 1915 and Gustav Holst's Suite No. 1 in E flat. For more information on either concert, please call 410.455.MUSC or visit Arts Calendar