By JUDITH CLURMAN

Programming music for concert halls rather than houses of worship during the December holiday season is like solving a difficult jigsaw puzzle. It is not an easy task. You might love a piece, but it also has to be a perfect fit for your chorus and instrumental forces, as well as a perfect fit for your audience. Pleasing the audience in December is the most difficult part of the process; they know what they want to hear, and if it is a new "carol," they become extremely critical. Most people feel safe with the familiar and want to hear their favorites to be reminded of their childhoods at Christmas time. But I am an adventuresome conductor, and therefore I have mixed "new" music with old chestnuts to try and keep everyone happy. The Juilliard Choral Union's holiday concert is a rich and varied collection of works, and it has been a personal joy for me to have an opportunity to program this music.

Judith Clurman (Photos by Rosalie O'Connor )

We will begin with Bach's monumental work Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140 ("Sleepers Awake"). Wachet auf, composed in 1731, was first performed on November 25 of that year in Leipzig, Germany, under the direction of the composer. The chorale melody from which the cantata gets its name was a hymn by Philipp Niccolai. The text of the hymn is based on the parable of the wise and foolish virgins and later turns to a description of the heavenly city of Zion. The hymn's three long stanzas—combined with the concept of Jesus's love for the soul, which he returns to claim as a bridegroom does his bride—inspired Bach's musical genius and spirited musical setting. The first movement, for chorus and small orchestra (two oboes, English horn, bassoon, horn, violino piccolo, strings, and continuo), is an extended chorale; the sopranos sing the chorale melody in long notes while the other parts provide Bach's glorious counterpoint. The middle movement, scored for the tenors alone with the orchestra, is probably the most well known movement of the work. The final movement, for chorus and orchestra, is a setting of the chorale tune for full chorus and orchestra. Recitatives (for tenor and then for bass) and duets (for soprano and bass) are placed between these chorale stanzas. Our soloists will be Charlotte Dobbs, soprano; Paul Appleby, tenor; and David McFerrin, baritone.

Juilliard Choral Union Holiday Concert Peter Jay Sharp Theater Wednesday, Dec. 20, 8 p.m. Free tickets available Dec. 6 in the Juilliard Box Office. Please see the Calendar of Events for more information.

Much of the music celebrating Christmas consists of short works, lasting from two to five minutes. Following intermission the group will sing pieces of this genre, many of which I have personally premiered, recorded, and/or commissioned. This half begins with Thomas Cabaniss's Behold the Star. This musical gem was written for my Project Youth Chorus in 1999, when I directed the Lincoln Center tree lighting. Tom rewrote the piece in a mixed-chorus arrangement with harp accompaniment, and I have recorded it on my Christmas CD, A Season's Promise. Wayne Oquin's poignant Ave Maria follows. I premiered this piece, composed in 2000, with the New York Concert Singers in Brno, the Czech Republic, on July 9 of that year. Marvin Hamlisch's Take Me to Christmas Past was arranged for the Choral Union with string quartet and piano for this concert by Derrick Wang. Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's robust anthem of praise, Lo, the Messiah, scored for piano and chorus, was composed in 1943. Vaughan Williams' Two Songs of Winter ("God Bless the Master" and "Wassail Song"), for strings and organ, were written for the National Federation of Women's Institutes and were premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in London on June 15, 1950.

Two short works that evoke the spirit of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, are programmed as well. In December 2001, the Choral Union premiered Juilliard alumnus Stephen Schwartz's (of Wicked fame) We Are Lights, with the composer at the keyboard, at Lincoln Center's holiday tree lighting. With words by Steve Young, the work was recently rearranged by Tony Award-winning Broadway orchestrator William David Brohn for chorus and harp. We will premiere this new arrangement. Paul Schoenfield will accompany the Choral Union on his Al Hanissim. A few years back, my sister and I commissioned the piece in memory of our parents and it has yet to receive a premiere. The text expresses the gratitude of the Jewish people for the miracle of survival.

We will end the program with David Willcocks' arrangements of carols and ask the audience to join the chorus in celebrating the holiday season through communal song. We look forward to seeing you—come celebrate, come reflect, and come be part of our community. Happy holidays!

Judith Clurman, director of choral activities, is director of the Juilliard Choral Union.