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It’s beginning to look – and sound – a lot like Christmas on the Ouachita Baptist University campus. Ouachita’s School of Fine Arts hosted the annual Festival of Christmas Dec. 3-4 in Jones Performing Arts Center on the university’s Arkadelphia campus. Large crowds of students, faculty, staff and area residents gathered each evening for the annual Christmas celebration.
This year’s show included many of the same numbers as past years along with a new African piece featuring percussion as well as a new arrangement of “Sleigh Ride.” The production involved several groups from the Division of Music including Concert Choir, Women’s Chorus, Ouachita Sounds and Ouachita Singers.
“We try to showcase all of the divisions of music from instrumental to vocal,” said Dr. Gary Gerber, chair of the division.
Gerber began preparing for Festival of Christmas in July with the selection of the songs. Once the program had been put together, the various groups began practicing the first week in October.
“The format is the same, and we try to keep it that way because it really seems to work well,” Gerber said. “It is basically a Christmas show that starts out with traditional secular songs and concludes with sacred songs.”
“My favorite part of Festival of Christmas is the music,” said Leslyn Ichter, a senior music education major from Conway, Ark. “I like repeating some old favorites.”
In order to keep the show exciting each year, different songs are rotated in and out of the set list. At the same time, specific songs are kept each year.
“We have ended with the dramatic and powerful ‘O Holy Night’ for several years, so it has become a tradition,” Gerber said.
For many students involved in Festival of Christmas, this year’s performance was not their first, nor will it be their last. Mark Bartels, a junior church music major from Henderson, Texas, was part of the show’s movers and shakers, a group of students who are featured performers during various numbers throughout the show.
“I love seeing all the children that attend get excited when we come out,” Bartels said.
This was Bartels’ third year performing in Festival of Christmas and his second year performing as one of the movers and shakers. He described the atmosphere each year as being full of anticipation and excitement for the Christmas season.
For Gerber, the best part of the performance is seeing the students enjoying themselves on stage. He said he feels that it is a wonderful time to be on Ouachita’s campus and experience the Christmas season.
Korrie Browning is a senior Christian studies and mass communications major from Cypress, Texas.
It’s beginning to look – and sound – a lot like Christmas on the Ouachita Baptist University campus. Ouachita’s School of Fine Arts hosted the annual Festival of Christmas Dec. 3-4 in Jones Performing Arts Center on the university’s Arkadelphia campus. Large crowds of students, faculty, staff and area residents gathered each evening for the annual Christmas celebration.
This year’s show included many of the same numbers as past years along with a new African piece featuring percussion as well as a new arrangement of “Sleigh Ride.” The production involved several groups from the Division of Music including Concert Choir, Women’s Chorus, Ouachita Sounds and Ouachita Singers.
“We try to showcase all of the divisions of music from instrumental to vocal,” said Dr. Gary Gerber, chair of the division.
Gerber began preparing for Festival of Christmas in July with the selection of the songs. Once the program had been put together, the various groups began practicing the first week in October.
“The format is the same, and we try to keep it that way because it really seems to work well,” Gerber said. “It is basically a Christmas show that starts out with traditional secular songs and concludes with sacred songs.”
“My favorite part of Festival of Christmas is the music,” said Leslyn Ichter, a senior music education major from Conway, Ark. “I like repeating some old favorites.”
In order to keep the show exciting each year, different songs are rotated in and out of the set list. At the same time, specific songs are kept each year.
“We have ended with the dramatic and powerful ‘O Holy Night’ for several years, so it has become a tradition,” Gerber said.
For many students involved in Festival of Christmas, this year’s performance was not their first, nor will it be their last. Mark Bartels, a junior church music major from Henderson, Texas, was part of the show’s movers and shakers, a group of students who are featured performers during various numbers throughout the show.
“I love seeing all the children that attend get excited when we come out,” Bartels said.
This was Bartels’ third year performing in Festival of Christmas and his second year performing as one of the movers and shakers. He described the atmosphere each year as being full of anticipation and excitement for the Christmas season.
For Gerber, the best part of the performance is seeing the students enjoying themselves on stage. He said he feels that it is a wonderful time to be on Ouachita’s campus and experience the Christmas season.
Korrie Browning is a senior Christian studies and mass communications major from Cypress, Texas.
