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The Troy University Concert Chorale will be in concert at 3 p.m.  Sunday at Park Memorial United Methodist Church. The public is invited.

The concert is under the direction of Dr. Diane D. Orlofsky, Troy University director of choirs.

This concert will be a special day for the members of the Concert Chorale in that it will be the first in-person public performance since the fall of 2019 due to COVID protocols and precautions.

“The concert is built around the word, ‘GLORIA!’ and explores advent and Christmas themes of joy, peace and the celebration of new life,” Orlofsky said. “‘Gloria,’ more than any other single word, captures our hope for a better day and our joy in making music together.”

Orlofsky said the “Gloria” text from Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,” actually first appeared in the East Syrian liturgy as a hymn and probably dates to around the fourth century.

“One of the special things about choral music is how unique each setting of a text can be as realized through the eyes of the composer or arranger,” Orlofsky said. “Like looking through a prism, we hope that hearing this commonly known text in different ways will guide our audience through the joy of the season, the celebration of new life and the exuberance of choral praise.