It’s that time of year again, folks. Christmas lights are strung and mistletoe hung. The smell of peppermint-mocha permeates nearly every coffee shop, and paper snowflakes can be seen decorating store windows. What better way to celebrate the start of this holiday season than by listening to some good old-fashioned Christmas music?
This Friday, December 6, Trinity University will hold its 20th annual Christmas Concert in Laurie Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. This program is free and open to all students and surrounding community members. Due to the popularity of this concert, though, all 2,700 seats in Laurie generally fill up. It is important to arrive early if a good spot is desired.
The stage of Laurie Auditorium will be decorated to match the festivities, complete with a giant wreath a couple of Christmas trees.
The concert includes performances by the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Combined Trinity Choirs, the Trinity Symphony Orchestra and the Trinity University Handbell Ensemble. The Trinitones and the AcaBellas, will perform with the Trinity Brass Quartet in the lobby for some pre-concert tunes. The Trinity Jazz Ensemble will also perform post-concert music for those filing out after the performance.
The songs performed at this concert get students and attendees from the San Antonio community together with their upbeat nature. With classic carols like “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Joy to the World” on the program, there is surely something to get everyone in a cheery holiday mood.
“I love Christmas music,” said David Reeves, a member of the Trinity Choir. “It is a great time of year with music to match.”
One of the greatest aspects of the Trinity Christmas Concert is the opportunity for the entire community to connect with students in a way that can only be done during the holiday season.
“For some people, this concert is their one and only time on campus for the whole year. It gives us an opportunity not only to showcase our student talent, but also to connect the community with the school,” said Gary Seighman, director of choral activities. “There is something very special that occurs when people bond over music and sing together.”
With such a large number and wide variety of people coming to the concert, the sing-along pieces included in the concert are mesmerizing, and the fact that thousands of voices can come together in song is truly moving not only to the audience, but to directors as well.
“As a choir director this is really inspiring because there is something special about group singing,” Seighman said.
He says that there is something inherent in human nature that makes us want to sing together. Every culture at one point or another has incorporated group singing into their development, so there is something that is socially familiar for people about coming together through music.
“I like going to the Christmas concert because it is so cool to see all of the families in the San Antonio community and Trinity students sitting together enjoying the Christmas season,” said junior Kinsey Miller. “It is a really special sight.”
