SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School to host holiday music concert

POTSDAM, N.Y. (WWTI) – SUNY Potsdam is helping to ring in the Christmas season with holiday favorites from television and film.

Around 300 student and faculty musicians from SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music will kick off the holiday season on Sunday, November 24, with the 2024 Crane Candlelight Concert.

This family-friendly event will take place at 3 p.m. November 24 in the Helen M. Hosmer Concert Hall. This event is open to the public. This year's concert will mix in favorite melodies from holiday films and television specials, along with classic hymns and works, for a nostalgic and festive performance.

This concert will also be streamed online live on the SUNY Potsdam website and on YouTube. A reception will be held after the event in the Hosmer Lobby.

The Crane Candlelight Concert is a tradition that asks us to find peace and belonging in traditions old and new. We hope this year's performance inspires audiences far and near once again this year.

Crane School of Music Interim Dean Dr. David Heuser

There will be a nostalgic medley of songs from favorite holiday stop-motion and animated features, such as "The Grinch," "Rudolph" and "Frosty the Snowman." The ensemble will also perform an arrangement of classics.

The Crane Chorus and Crane Symphony Orchestra and Hosmer Choir will all be performing at the event.

The annual Crane School of Music holiday celebration performances are a major highlight of the Crane concert season. The holiday concert tradition began in the 1930s, at what was then the Crane Institute of Music at Potsdam Normal School, and has continued to grow in prominence ever since.

This event will also be recorded for national broadcast on public television. Mountain Lake PBS based out of Plattsburgh will produce this broadcast with air dates to come later on.