18
SOUND CHECK
DECEMBER 1�8, 2021
WHAT’S PLAYING AROUND
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
La Grande performers unite for
29th annual Holiday Music Festival
Go! staff
L
A GRANDE — The Observer’s
29th annual Holiday Music
Festival, sponsored by Koza
Family Dental Care, returns Dec.
4 and 5 to Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity’s McKenzie Theatre.
The festival features commu-
nity members and EOU en-
sembles playing a collection of
classic holiday hits from all over
the world in a gala style of short
performances.
“It’s a musical celebration of
the holidays. It’s various types of
music, with a little something for
everybody” said Peter Wordel-
man, professor of music and
director of the EOU Chamber
Choir. “This year it will be done in
one act.”
The festival will be performed
at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 and at
3 p.m. on Dec. 5 in McKenzie
Theatre, which is in Loso Hall.
The same performances are
scheduled for both days. The
theater will be fi lled to three-
quarter capacity to allow for
social distancing, and face
coverings are required for all at-
tendees.
Admission is $10 for adults
and $8 for seniors and EOU
students. Tickets are available
at Red Cross Drug or online at
www.eou.edu/music. Advanced
ticket purchase is highly recom-
mended.
In total, 120 performers from
the EOU Chamber Choir, Grande
Ronde Symphony Orchestra,
HOLIDAY MUSIC
FESTIVAL
7:30 p.m. Dec. 4
3 p.m. Dec. 5
McKenzie Theater at Eastern
Oregon University
$10 adults, $8 seniors and
EOU students
Buy tickets at Red Cross
Drug or www.eou.edu/music
45th Parallel Ensemble, African
Drumming Group and EOU Fiddle
Ensemble will play a mix of new
music and classics.
“My favorite part is that we
get to do it, it’s the same answer
you’re getting from everybody.
It’s nice that we can do the festi-
val since we missed the festival
last year,” Wordelman said.
The festival performance
lasts just over one hour and will
include a brief intermission.
“The community will say
they’ve come to the festival
for 20 years or 25 years or
every single one of them. So it
becomes part of their holiday
season rituals that they tradition-
ally come to this event, and so
it has tremendous community
support,” Wordelman said.
About 16 students, four
organizers and 12 movers work
behind the scenes to keep the
performance seamless.
The EOU Foundation has part-
nered with the production and is
accepting donations. All money
raised from donations and ticket
sales will fund EOU music pro-
Eastern Oregon University/Contributed image
The 29th annual Holiday Music Festival returns to Eastern Oregon University’s McKenzie Theatre on Dec. 4 and 5. This
photo is from the 2019 festival.
grams and scholarships.
“All of the money that’s raised
at the festival goes into music
funds in the EOU Foundation,
and over the 30-year span, not
only with this festival but oth-
erwise, we’ve raised well over
$600,000,” Wordelman said.
In addition to the support of
The Observer and Koza Family
Dental Care, Fitzgerald Flowers
provides all stage decorations.
For more information contact
Wordelman at 541-962-3352 or
pwordelm@eou.edu.
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