Palmer student will sing for a nationwide audience

Curtis Bell's parents have never heard him sing in the Willamette University choir, but they'll get that chance tomorrow night -- although not live. Their son is singing in the CBS/Hallmark nationwide Christmas Eve special, and the performance will be broadcast to a national television audience.

The Bells will be tuned to KTVA Channel 11, starting at 10:30 p.m. tomorrow, when the Willamette choir takes the stage. Bell sings low base in the male ensemble choir and is a member of the Willamette University Chamber Choir, a 60-voice mixed choir, which is one of six choirs participating in the holiday special.

And while it is a great opportunity for all members of the Willamette choir, Bell thinks it has a little added meaning to those students who have to travel long distances to come to the university.

"This will be the first time my parents have heard me sing in this choir," Bell said. "For those of us who live thousands of miles away, it's a great opportunity for our parents to finally hear what we're doing."

Bell and other members of the two Willamette choirs are joining Voce Femina, the university's all-women's group, and three community choirs that are participating in the First Presbyterian Church of Salem's CBS/Hallmark performance.

The church was selected from more than 60 applicants nationwide.

In addition to 235 voices, the hour-long performance will include 16 instrumentalists, 14 bell ringers and the church's massive pipe organ.

"I guess they rotate denominations every year, and this year it was the Presbyterians turn to host it," Bell explained. "They picked the First Presbyterian Church of Salem, which is two blocks off campus."

A music professor at Willamette University is also the music director at the church, and that helped it be selected for the hour-long production.

According to organizers, Willamette's male ensemble will sing a Latin introduction of "Oh Come Oh Come Emanuel" and then invite the church's congregation to join in.

Willamette's Chamber Choir is the only group to solo during the musical, performing "There Will Be Rest."

"Other than the cameras that were everywhere, it was a regular performance," Bell said.

The performance is taped -- it actually took part just after Thanksgiving, although Bell said nobody has seen the tape yet. He'll be tuned into the program with his parents, as he just got back from college a few days ago.

"I'm sure we'll all be watching it, and I've told a few friends about it," Bell said.

For Bell, music isn't a course of a study as much as it is a release.

He is a junior majoring in politics, and participating in the choir is one way to get away from the grind, he said.

"It's a stress release from writing papers and studying politics," he said.

This summer, Bell will get to study international politics and music at the same time -- the Willamette Chamber Choir has been invited to play by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa in May.

"He heard us do a piece in his native language when he visited the university, and he extended the invitation," Bell said. "We're pretty excited about that opportunity."