The Christmas Special consists of two musical features.
The Drum is a pageant with words and music by Katherine K. Davis, with a story line marking the journey of all who sought to honor the new born king found lying in a manger. Produced by Arletta Raley and directed by F. Fred Steele, the production features well-known and much beloved local actor Thom Jones as the peddler and Marty White as the boy.
Rounding out the special, is the beautiful South Carolina Sings Christmas with the University of South Carolina Concert Choir with Arpad Darazs, internationally renowned conductor and choral director. The musical selections include Alleluia The Christ Child is Born and Magnum Mysterium composed by Tomás Luis de Victoria.
Side Notes
- The Rev. Dr. Thomas Copeland Jones, 92 of West Columbia, passed away on Saturday, September 2, 2023. https://www.templeshalloranfuneralhome.com/obituary/rev-dr-thomas-jones
- Arpad Darazs was born in Hungary and graduated from the Franz Liszt Conservatory in Budapest where he studied under Zoltan Kodaly.
- While at the University of South Carolina (1966–1986) he founded the USC Concert Choir. Later he was also conductor of the Columbia Philharmonic Orchestra.
- In 1981 he founded the Palmetto Mastersingers, which is an all-male chorus that went on to win critical acclaim at competitions in Hungary and Wales (1984).
- In 1976, the Concert Choir became the first choir from the United States to win the first prize in the International Béla Bartók Choral Competition in Hungary, and they repeated this win in 1980.
- In 1985, he was awarded the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts for his contributions and achievements in and to the arts in South Carolina.
If you missed any of the holiday programming, check out the Happy Holidays page, or view more classic content on ETV Classics.
