Natchez &8212; The Alcorn State University Concert Choir will present its annual Natchez program at 7 p.m.

Dec. 4 at St. Mary Basilica.

The Festival of Christmas will include &8220;Magnificat&8221; by John Rutter, said Dr. David Blackburn, conductor. &8220;This is a new piece, about two years old,&8221; Blackburn said. &8220;It&8217;s a wonderful piece, about 40 minutes long. It&8217;s tough, and the choir has worked really hard to learn it.&8221;

The choir is the same group that sang at the 2004 inauguration of President George Bush in Washington, D.C., with the addition of perhaps three or four voices, Blackburn said.

&8220;They have matured. They are an exceptional choir, as good as any choir you&8217;ll hear in the world,&8221; he said.

&8220;I believe in this choir. I think people will be very excited to hear them.&8221;

For several years, the choir performed Handel&8217;s &8220;Messiah&8221; at the basilica during the Christmas season. This year, Blackburn felt new music would spur more to attend. &8220;This music is just as exciting as &8216;The Messiah,&8217;&8221; he said.

The concert is free. However, donations will be accepted to help the choir make its trip to Carnegie Hall, where it is to perform on March 20.

&8220;They&8217;ve been singing all over the country at small churches and already have made $10,000,&8221; Blackburn said. &8220;They really want to go, and they deserve to go.&8221;

During the New York trip, choir members will visit the renowned Julliard School of Music and will see a performance at Lincoln Center.

&8220;This trip will be so educational for them. It helps to stretch them, to help them know more about the world around them,&8221; Blackburn said.

The cost per student for the trip will be $1,250, he said. That includes bus transportation there and back, hotels, meals and other costs.

The choir will perform at churches in Birmingham, Ala., Richmond, Va., New York City and Atlanta to help boost their funds on the way to New York and back.

About 35 to 40 of the 55 choir members will make the trip &8212; &8220;the ones who have not missed rehearsals and who have helped to raise some of the money they need for the trip,&8221; Blackburn said.

&8220;Each person has to bring a check for $300 that they have raised.&8221;

Their accomplished regular accompanist Tony Gordon also will travel with the choir to perform with them.

A reception and silent auction will be held in St. Theresa Hall, ground floor of the basilica, after the concert.

&8220;Everyone is invited to this,&8221; he said.