Houston Chamber Choir presents “Christmas at the Villa – Glory in the Highest” for annual holiday concerts at the Chapel of Villa de Matel

Two concerts set for Saturday, Dec. 7 and two for Sunday, Dec. 8

: The Grammy® Award-winning Houston Chamber Choir, under the direction of Robert Simpson, returns to the beauty of the Villa de Matel Chapel to present "Christmas at the Villa – Glory in the Highest," the Choir's annual holiday concerts sharing the universal message of peace and goodwill to the world. The Choir now celebrates its 30th anniversary season.

The soaring sounds of voices, organ and brass will ring throughout the beauty of the Chapel of the Villa de Matel to the delight of concert-goers for "Christmas at the Villa – Glory in the Highest." This year, special guests are the highly regarded instrumental ensemble Paragon Brass and the Treble Choir of Houston at Christ Church Cathedral directed by Marianna Parnas-Simpson, returning once again. Join with family and friends in this beloved Houston holiday tradition.

In partnership with The Beacon, and in the spirit of giving, Houston Chamber Choir patrons are invited to bring items to donate to The Beacon , a nonprofit in downtown Houston that works to end homelessness and restore hope. Needed are men and women's personal hygiene items, including toiletries, socks, and disposable razors, along with medical scrubs, blankets, and new or gently used bath towels. For a full list of donation items and The Beacon's Amazon Wish List, visit www.beaconhomeless.org/inkinditems .

: The Houston Chamber Choir is made up of 24 professional musicians of diverse backgrounds who hail from some of the finest music programs in the country, including Cleveland Institute of Music, New England Conservatory in Boston, Moores School of Music at the University of Houston, College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati and the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Members of the Choir have performed professionally across the United States and internationally, singing in festivals, operas, concerts, church choirs and in musical theater.

: Saturday, December 7 at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Sunday, December 8 at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

: Chapel at Villa de Matel

: Single tickets for the performance range from $10 for students to $45 for general admission. Seniors and military personnel receive a discount. Tickets can be purchased online at www.houstonchamberchoir.org/2024-2025-season/glory-in-the-highest .

Link to photos

Photo credit: Jeff Grass

About Houston Chamber Choir

Led by Founder and Artistic Director Robert Simpson and Artistic Director Designate Dr. Betsy Cook Weber, the Houston Chamber Choir is a Grammy® Award-winning ensemble of 24 professional musicians selected from the finest choral artists in our region. "One of the jewels of the city's cultural scene" (Houston Chronicle), the Houston Chamber Choir has brought Houston an array of choral works for 30 years ranging from early music and Baroque masterpieces, including the city's first period instrument performance of Bach's B Minor Mass, to the rarely heard Third Sacred Concert by Duke Ellington, and performances and premieres of works by today's leading composers, many with Houston ties — David Ashley White, Christopher Theofanidis, Dominick DiOrio, J. Todd Frazier, Mark Buller, Karim Al-Zand, Pierre Jalbert, Marcus Maroney, and Daniel Knaggs.

The Houston Chamber Choir's awards include Chorus America's Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence and the American Prize. They were one of 24 international ensembles selected to appear at the 2020 World Symposium on Choral Music in New Zealand. The Houston Chamber Choir has appeared at national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, the American Guild of Organists, and Chorus America. Tours have taken them to Mexico, Wales, and the Northeastern United States where they performed at Trinity Church, Wall Street in New York City, and Yale University at the invitation of the Institute of Sacred Music.

The Choir's recording of the complete choral works of French composer Maurice Duruflé was awarded the 2019 Grammy® Award for Best Choral Performance. In January 2022, Signum Classics released its newest recording of compositions by acclaimed British composer Bob Chilcott. For this recording, the Houston Chamber Choir is joined by the Treble Choir of Houston directed by Marianna Parnas-Simpson. The title work, Circlesong, is a 13-movement composition for two choirs, two pianos, and percussion based on indigenous poetry of North America.