STY LE ___________ Ih£Pendulun Page 16 / Wednesday, December 3, 2008 Hark! Holiday cheer! It’s that time of year again. Christmas is just around the corner, and Burlington and G ^ already preparing for a number of events to celebrate the holiday season, stu en some local break from studying and experience a little holiday cheer, these are a few of the be celebration. PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.BMI.COM Events in Elon and Burlington Elon alumnus and country music song­ writer Casey Beathard (right) wrote the Holiday Magic Downtown lyrics for Rodney Atkins’ (left) “Cleaning M essiah: This Gun.” \ What: The ^*8^” ”|jjnas tree, festival H ^'SSSration with 1 I a concert feituTn^^^ Burlington s ^ train musical enterta nmen . ^^^^ rides, an appearance dy and Mrs. Claus and other From Rhode’s ensembJe5e S - £?« voca] jazz ' *^oen: 7 -in ^ activities p^c. 5 Stadium to Country ^bere: McCraTv Dec 4 When. 6 ^ 9 P-^own Burlington Where: Where: .^lall charge Awards ceremonies Fountain outside AW '^formation £(„„> Admission: Free i calendar k^Tressionsindsome Inforination^Elons^u*^ ------------ Alexa Milan A&E Editor € r Greensboro Symphony Casey Beathard, an Elon alumnus Orchestra Holiday Pops who graduated in 1990, has come a long way from his days on the Elon What; A concert of holiday Christmas in the favorites to benefit the football field. On Nov. 11, he received Alamance County Salvation What: Christma^ ^ the 2008 Country Songwriter of amusement p the Year Award at the 56th annual / a fandJeJiahf ^ ‘^‘^^rations Army When: 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21 Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMl) / flo n ^ ch o f Where: Koury Athletic Center Country Awards. Admission: Non-perishable Wher“ 'B»riWetonCltvP«k BMl is a performing rights foods organization that collects licensing Admission: Free 5^30 fees when its musicians' works ^•nation: Ehti Information: Elon’s cultural Information^(33e)K^j^____ calendar are performed and gives them to calendar the artists as royalties. It awarded Beathard the Country Songwriter of the Year Award once before in 2004. Beathard co-wrote five of the Events in Greensboro songs on BMl's most-performed list for 2008: Kenny Chesney's “Don't lavcees Holiday Paj {gaturing Blink,” Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus’ “Ready, Set, Don’t Go,” George Strait’s “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls," Rodney Atkins’ “Cleaning This Gun” W hen: at G reene at and Tracy Lawrence’s “Find Out Who Your Friends Are,” also featuring Tim McGraw and Chesney. Other award recipients at the Nov. 11 ceremony 1 a chrisin'asCaro ,j,e PWofmanceSTS??®'"'"'* Christmas taJe included Taylor Swift and Hank \ What: A _ classic abou I "'nen; lo m = Williams Jr. ' Charles ^Qge„e and hish is visiv - Beathard is best known for his tbenexer Scr chtisttnas^hristtnas Festival of Lights Saturday, D ec ?n ^ P m I upbeat country songs like Tracy with tn^^the 6ghos"“ d futurefuture What: A community Christmas Byrd’s “Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo" / Dec. 21 ^ P -^- Tree Lighting, carols and other VVhere; War lu and “How’d I Wind Up in Jamaica holiday activities and Trace Adkins’ “Hot Mama," but he has also written more serious fare 3 w T « e e r « g ^25 50 When: 6-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 Where: Downtown Greensboro like Billy Currington’s “Walk a Little Admission: Free L ox, 373-7400 Straighter.” He has also written Top Information: (336) 274-4595 20 hits for country music stars Gar) Allan and Clay Davidson. In a profile about him on the BMl Web site, Beathard is quoted as saying, “1 try not to over-think it. I Department of Music kicks off winter season don’t second-guess myself Whenl write something fun, people seem to like it. Mainly, I just write a lot, and with two concerts from elan and Camerata every once in a while something get* cut. There’s no secret or formula to Alexa Milan the song “Hallelujah” was published as a choral piece, and it.” A&E Editor Futrell heard high school choirs perform it. Impressed by Before Beathard became a country the music, Futrell began transcribing the other songs. music songwriting sensation, he The Festival of Holiday Lights might typically be Futrell meets with elan as a class Tuesdays and was an Elon football star. The sono thought of as Elon’s holiday kick-off, but this year the Thursdays, and they have been working to perfect the Bobby Beathard, a former NFL genew department of music will spread holiday cheer the funky sounds of “Messiah: A Soulful Celebration” since the manager, Beathard played football musical way with two performances. “Messiah: A Soulful beginning of the school year. all four years he was at Elon. Mac e> Celebration” features gospel and jazz variations of “elan is really the only place that gets into commercial Carden, his football coach, said e sections of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio “Messiah," pop-jazz-rock style," Futrell said. “It emphasizes how to remembers Beathard as an excel en and “Celebration of Light” features a cappella works from take fundamental vocal technique and apply it to pop football player and student. Camerata, Elon’s choral ensemble. style.” “He was all the things you were 1 Elon’s vocal jazz ensemble, elan, will perform in A few days after elan’s “Messiah: A Soulful Celebration,” looking for in a football player, “Messiah: A Soulful Celebration.” The show is based on the more traditional Camerata will take the stage. This year Carden said. “He was a very the 1992 album “Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration,” marks Camerata’s fifth year performing “Celebration of personable young man.” which features rhythm and blues, gospel and soul Light,” which features all a cappella music. After graduating from Elon m arrangements of Handel’s oratorio. The 13 singers in elan The show will include contemporary music, choral 1990 with a degree in business will each have a solo and will be accompanied by a rhythm arrangements from the 15th and 16th centuries, Christmas management, Beathard moved 0 section featuring drums, keyboards, bass and guitar. carols, Hanukkah songs and songs related to winter. Don Nashville, Tenn., to pursue a care^ Grady, associate professor of communications and chair “This is an exciting show because it’s such a different as a country music presentation of how people would normally hear ‘Messiah,’” of the School of Communications, will provide narration worked at the Country Music said Stephen Futrell, department of music chair and from the collected works of T.S. Eliot, and Mary Alice Fame and the Bluebird Cafe be director of elan. “It goes with the eclectic nature of elan.” Bragg, university organist, will play the organ under the being signed to a songwritmg ; Chesney's Part of the reason “Messiah” was chosen as the show’s narration and between songs. The show will also feature contract. His first cut was ^ some excerpts from scripture, holiday decorations, special focus is because 2009 marks 250 years since Handel's “I Will Stand” in 1998. lighting effects and a candlelight processional. death. “Messiah: A Soulful Celebration” will serve as a He has been w r i t i n g country precursor to a more traditional performance of “Messiah” According to Futrell, who is also the director of music ever since then, including Camerata, most students from elan also perform with in the spring. more Top 10 hits for C h e s n e y . That performance will have a full orchestra and both Camerata. co-produced Adkins’ “I ys “As a young musician, you want to try to diversify,” Camerata and Chorale, Elon’s other choral ensemble, will Something" in 2006, earriing Futrell said. “Then you focus on where your passion is.” perform. The show will also feature four guest soloists who first record producer credit. Futrell said some of the songs in each show are very will provide master classes. While the full oratorio is three In spite of all his success, hours long, the spring performance will include about two- accessible while others are more provocative. Some should said, still rem em bers Beatnar entertain people while others should challenge them. thirds of the material. young Elon fo o tb all player wi “It’s a year-long celebration of Handel,” Futrell said. “I believe the presence of cultural activities in the community contributes to the quality of life,” Futrell said no one ever had any “Messiah: A Soulful Celebration” will include 11 songs “I’m not surprised at all from the 1992 album, which was produced by Quincy “And we hope that we inspire people.” did well,” Carden said. Jones and features Stevie Wonder. The album’s version of.