Annual Holiday Favorite to Air Nationally on PBS
Monday, Dec. 24, 10 p.m. EST
Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 1, 2007 –Belmont University graduate Melinda Doolittle (’99) will host the 2007 Christmas at Belmont concert, airing nationally on PBS Monday, Dec. 24, at 10 p.m. EST, after its local premiere on Nashville Public Television (NPT) Thursday, Dec. 20, at 8 p.m. CST. Christmas at Belmont, a production of NPT with funding from the Beaman Family Foundation and the Jack C. Massey Foundation, will be broadcast this year from the illustrious Schermerhorn Symphony Center, adding to the grandeur of the signature holiday event in Music City. Doolittle was a top finalist on the sixth season of American Idol, where she won the hearts and votes of millions of Americans and gathered legions of devoted fans.
"We have a world-class School of Music and we are delighted that we can bring our students and faculty to national prominence," Dr. Robert C. Fisher, president of Belmont University, said. “We are thrilled to welcome Melinda Doolittle back home to Belmont and are grateful to her for hosting Christmas at Belmont and providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our School of Music students to perform with such a talented singer and inspiration. We’re pleased to be partnering again with NPT to produce this signature holiday event for a national and local audience.”
Christmas at Belmont is an annual Belmont tradition celebrating the holiday season and the musical diversity and rich talent of the university’s School of Music. The concert features a collage of familiar carols (“Carol of the Bells”), classical masterworks (“Gloria”), world music and light-hearted seasonal favorites (“You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch”). More than 400 student voices join with School of Music faculty and the Nashville Children’s Choir to present the annual holiday production.
School of Music alumna Melinda Doolittle will return to familiar territory as she takes to the Christmas at Belmont stage with Belmont students and faculty, but in her first ever role as host. Doolittle graduated from Belmont in 1999 with a degree in commercial voice and began her professional singing career as a backup singer for acts such as BeBe and CeCe Winans, Michael McDonald, Kirk Franklin, Aaron Neville, Alabama, Jonny Lang and Anointed. Doolittle emerged from the background to headliner after her successful run on the sixth season of TV juggernaut American Idol. Since her run on the show, Doolittle performed in the American Idol national tour and has been preparing for her debut album.
Doolittle is taking over Christmas at Belmont hosting duties from fellow Belmont School of Music alum Josh Turner (’01), a country superstar and the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Doolittle will perform several sure-to-be crowd pleasers, such as Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmastime Is Here” with the Belmont Jazz Quintet and “Joy to the World” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” with all Christmas at Belmont performers. Among the performers in this year’s concert may be the next Minnie Pearl, Trisha Yearwood, Brad Paisley or Lee Ann Womack – all Belmont alumni and powerhouses in the country music industry.
Another first for the 2007 Christmas at Belmont production is its relocation to the grand Schermerhorn Symphony Center in downtown Nashville. Opened in 2006, the Schermerhorn is one of few venues in the world featuring natural lighting and state-of-the-art acoustics, including motorized acoustic drapes and an acoustical isolation joint that encircles the entire concert hall and prevents sound waves traveling into or out of the hall.
"Our partnership with Belmont University to produce this Christmas special for PBS will bring the musical assets of one of Nashville's premier educational institutions in a prestigious concert hall to a national audience," Beth Curley, Nashville Public Television President and CEO, said. "PBS programming is aired on the nation's 349 public television stations, which means that millions of Americans will have the opportunity continue to enjoy this beloved holiday tradition from Music City."
NPT chronicles and preserves the many facets of Middle Tennessee’s rich cultural landscape through locally-produced documentaries and performance programs, many of which have aired nationally, including The Carter Family, Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues, and Christmas at Belmont in 2003 and 2005.
Belmont University
Belmont University’s fast-growing community of nearly 4,800 students comes from almost every state and more than 25 countries. Committed to being a leader among teaching universities, Belmont brings together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christian community of learning and service. Our purpose is to help students explore their passions and develop their talents to meet the world’s needs. With more than 75 areas of study, 12 master’s programs and three doctoral degrees, there is no limit to the ways Belmont University can expand an individual's horizon.
Nashville Public Television
Nashville Public Television is available free and over the air to nearly 2.2 million people throughout the Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky viewing area, and is watched by more than 600,000 households every week. The mission of NPT is to provide, through the power of traditional television and interactive telecommunications, high quality educational, cultural and civic experiences that address issues and concerns of the people of the Nashville region, and which thereby help improve the lives of those we serve.
CONTACT:
Pamela Johnson
Director
University Marketing & Special Initiatives
Belmont University
(615) 460-6178 (t)
(615) 460-6980 (f)
johnsonp@mail.belmont.edu
CONTACT: Joe Pagetta (615) 259-9325, x211
email: jpagetta@wnpt.net.