For the Saint Leo University community, one of the most noticeable indicators that the Christmas season is fast-approaching is through the event, “A Saint Leo Christmas.” Hosted by the School of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Language Studies and the Arts, “A Saint Leo Christmas” is a musical four-time concert held in the Benedictine Hall Black Box Theater. The free event which is opened to students, faculty, staff and the public features recitals from the Saint Leo Singers, Saint Leo Chamber Singers, Saint Leo Strings and the Saint Leo Rhythm Machine.
Coming all the way from Land O’ Lakes, audience members Anthony and Patty are more than familiar with the shows and expressed how much they enjoyed attending the annual event. Their feelings of excitement and anticipation reflected the air in the Black Box Theater as the concert’s turn-out was large.
Anthony Marchitto thought the concert went absolutely amazing and believes it was the best one yet. Credit: Kadyann Stupart
The opening song, “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas” was performed by the Saint Leo Rhythm Machine, Saint Leo Strings and the Saint Leo Singers, who were impressively dressed in sparkling blue tops and ties. After hearing their rendition of the classic, it was hard to miss the smiles on the face of the audience. One could say that their singing was enough to warm you up from the 54°F cloudy grey weather.
Their synchronized movements and sways were then immediately followed by the Saint Leo Rhythm Machine who performed an instrumental rendition of “Silver Bells.” Humming could then be heard throughout the entire room during their performance. Another notable performance was by a cappella group TABS, who did a spin on the classic “Do You Hear What I Hear” with Jarred Pernier beatboxing.
Members of the Saint Leo Rhythm Machine and the Saint Leo Strings were festively dressed in Christmas sweaters. Credit: Kadyann Stupart
Director Mauricio Rodriguez sang the timeless macaronic Christmas song, “Feliz Navidad” and got the audience to sing along with him. Who could resist shouting the lines, “I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart?” During his performance, he played the guiro, a Cuban instrument which has parallel notches on one side that the musician plays by rubbing a stick against them.
A regular performer at the event is Anthony Marchitto, who has been involved with the Saint Leo Christmas concerts for the past three years now. This year was no different, and the audience swooned over his solo performance of Michael Bublé’s “Cold December Night.” Marchitto, a healthcare administration major who is in his junior year, said that preparations for the concert last from the middle of the semester to the beginning of Thanksgiving break. Although this makes for a busy schedule, he remarked, “I love to perform for the Saint Leo Community! It fills my heart with joy to spread the benefits of music to all those wanting to hear! Music is a powerful tool for communication!”
Marquis McGill’s solo performance in “Go Tell It On The Mountain” left the audience spirited. Credit: Kadyann Stupart
Following Marchitto’s solo was the Saint Leo Strings’ selection of songs from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Two songs from the selection that audience members were familiar with are, “Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy” and “Russian Dance: Trepak.” The next performance to keep the audience at the edge of their seats was by Yohana Fasida who showcased her prowess as a tenor singer with her rendition of “I Wonder as I Wander.”
Freshman Mary Louise Bain, who did a solo performance of “I Need A Silent Night” for the 7 p.m. show, said, “Being able to perform a solo at the Christmas concert was a lot of fun. Being able to share the joy of the holiday times to the audience was a memory.” The international tourism and hospitality major said that she enjoyed performing for the Saint Leo community because it reminds her of the love one should spread throughout the holidays.
Mary Louise Bain (left) is a member of the Saint Leo Chamber Singers and sings in the Alto vocal range. Credit: Kadyann Stupart
Following the solos, the Saint Leo Chamber Singers were cutely adorned in their reindeer antler headbands to perform “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” This resulted in much amusement and chuckles from the audience members. Marquis McGill’s solo performance in the Saint Leo Singers rendition of “Go Tell It on The Mountain” ended the concert on a high note as the awestruck crowd let loose a tremendous roar of applause and whistles.
As always, “A Saint Leo Christmas” is an event to look forward to thanks to the exceptional musical talents of the music program. The way in which the concert both mesmerizes the audience and implore them to join in the performances is why the event can truly be called a celebration of Christmas in song.
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