By Michael J. Brooks / For the Reporter

INDIAN SPRINGS VILLAGE – Indian Springs School will host its Holiday Choir Concert and Student Art Show on Thursday, Dec. 15. Both events will be in the campus’s Town Hall beginning at 7 p.m.

“The arts—and creative spirit—are such an important part of who we are and what we value at Indian Springs,” said Mindy Black, director of communications at the school. “We believe that the arts—choir, music, theater and visual arts—give students invaluable opportunities to explore, imagine, connect and express who they are.”

Black said some 100 students make up the choir—roughly one-third of the student body.
“They’re a hard-working group and they’ve been rehearsing every day,” she said.

The group is directed by first-year conductor Andrew Dibble, and accompanied by Dr. Hye-Sook Jung.

“The holidays are especially meaningful to musicians—in no other season do we get to spend so much time on texts relating to joy, peace and love for humanity,” Dibble said. “It’s been sensational watching these young students so passionately engage in this eclectic program.”

The choir plans to perform a wide variety of music including two selections from Faure’s “Requiem;” a Renaissance motet, William Byrd’s “Ave Verum;” an early American “shape note” tradition piece called “Idumea,” featuring student violinist Honney Kim; and a mash-up of a Baroque motet and 1970s pop song, “Lo, How a Rose/The Rose.” 

The Christmas event isn’t all the choir has done this fall. Choral students recently completed a Thanksgiving concert and the group performs in local assisted living facilities throughout the year.

The students have an annual domestic tour and in recent years have sung in Washington, D.C., New York, San Antonia and Orlando. Next February, the choir will perform in various Chicago locations. The choir has also sung internationally in Beijing, China, Dijon, France and in Vienna where they performed with the acclaimed Vienna Boys’ Choir.

The art show will feature a wide variety of student creations including pottery, ceramics, sculpture, painting, drawing and photography.

“Our fall semester classes have been working hard and growing as artists,” Art Department Chairman Clay Colvin said. “The holiday choir concert and student art show is an opportunity for our students to share their work with the community.”

Both events are free and open to the public.

The choir will also perform on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. at the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Mountain Brook.

Indian Springs School, founded in 1952, has 309 students in grades 8-12. Students represent 12 states and 10 countries.

For more information visit the school website, IndianSprings.org, or call 988-3350.