Held every year in Hughes Auditorium, the Christmas Music Chapel will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 4. The Christmas Music Chapel is an integral part of the holiday season here at Asbury. The service includes music from a variety of ensembles. Women’s Choir, Chorale and Concert Band are all featured, with additional groups included.
“I think that the Christmas music chapel is needed,” Sophomore Becca Yount said about the event, “students that can’t go home for Christmas should receive the same familiar feeling that we all long for.”
The concert is also a favorite among the students who perform it. “I love the tradition of it and how it happens every year and getting to share it with everyone.” Junior Summer Hollis, a member of the Women’s Choir, explained. This is also one of the best times to see the musical talent of Asbury showcased.
A wide variety of Christmas-themed songs will be played, including “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” “The First Noel” and “Children Go Where I Send Thee.” All of the music professors chose meaningful and impactful songs to share with the whole campus.
There is a spiritual aspect to the event as well. Sophomore Makina Riggs, a member of the Concert Band, says, “My favorite part about the Christmas music chapel is the amount of thought Dr. Flanigan puts into the pieces we play,” Sophomore Makina Riggs, a member of the Concert Band, said “several of the pieces performed in Christmas Chapel this year and the year prior were chosen because he values the meaning and inspiration of the composer, as well as what the music represents. One of my personal favorites has movements based throughout the life of Jesus, displaying the reality and severity of his works— and ultimately, his crucifixion and rise.” The music can be a strong reminder of the Advent season and celebrating the birth of Jesus.
The event brings the entire audience into a moment of peace and gives all who see it a welcome taste of the upcoming Christmas season. The spirit of the season is essential to all those who come to experience it.
