‘Let Heaven and Nature Sing’ – Christmas concert season arrives at Pacelli
Published 7:43 am Friday, December 2, 2016
- The Pacelli Choir performs at the Northwestern Singers Benefit Concert.
By Ben Mahlke
Pacelli K-12 Music/Choir Teacher
I am so proud to be part of the Pacelli family. My name is Ben Mahlke, and I am in my second year as the general music teacher and choral music director at Pacelli Catholic Schools.
I am very excited about this holiday season. The Pacelli Concert Choir has not only doubled in size this year but they have also risen to new challenges. We are working on performing more complex and musically diverse choral literature as well as striving to reveal our passion for music to the whole Austin community.
We started this year with the Northwestern Singers Benefit concert where we raised, with the help of the community, friends and family who attended, a significant amount of money for the Pacelli choral program. We are truly grateful for all the support from the community and to the Northwestern Singers for providing such a great opportunity for Pacelli students to perform and expand their musical experiences.
Pacelli Concert Choir takes a break from practicing in the rehearsal room.
The Pacelli Choir had the privilege of being part of the KSMQ Austin TV Christmas program this year. We met at the studio where students, for the first time, got to see what goes into making a short segment for a TV program. It was a very interesting experience and a great opportunity for the students to showcase their skills and talent.
We are all looking forward to our upcoming Christmas programs. It starts with the pre-school concerts at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12 and Tuesday Dec. 13.
The Pacelli Middle School/High School Concert featuring not only our choirs but also our band and orchestra ensembles will be at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday Dec. 14.
Finally, at 7 p.m. on Thursday Dec. 15, we will have the elementary Christmas concert, which will feature grades K-5, our Clover Choir, and select performances by students in our band and orchestra programs.
I could not be more proud of what these students have accomplished. I am so happy to be a part of this wonderful musical community!
If you are interested in learning more about Pacelli Catholic Schools, visit our website at www.pacellischools.org, email admin@pacellischools.org or call 507-437-3278.
