Berea College hosts annual 'Celebration of Christmas'

Berea College’s Music Department and The Willis D. Weatherford Jr. Campus Christian Center (CCC) will present “A Celebration of Christmas,” the annual Christmas concert, on Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7, at Union Church. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on both nights. 

“A Celebration of Christmas” welcomes the community to two nights of performances from Berea College’s eight ensembles: Folk-Roots Ensemble, Bel Canto Treble Singers, Concert Choir featuring Chamber Singers, Wind Ensemble, Black Music Ensemble, Mariachi Berea, Jazz Ensemble and Bluegrass Ensemble. Each group will bring a unique style as it sings and plays jubilant rhythms to usher in the holiday season. 

“The concert happens annually during the celebration of Advent, celebrating the movement from darkness to light, the light of the Coming Christ,” said Rev. Dr. LeSette Wright, the dean of the Berea College Chapel. “This is the message that propels us daily to press forward and overcome the challenges and difficulties inherent to our journeys. This year, we recognize that light through the lenses of all we have experienced throughout the recent hurricanes, wars and unrest. It is in this light that we go forward—in faith, hope and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

“A Celebration of Christmas” reinforces Berea College’s Third Great Commitment: “to stimulate understanding of the Christian faith and its many expressions and to emphasize the Christian ethic and the motive of service to others.” Art and music are two ways we express and emphasize our Christian values and grounding ethic of impartial love.

The placement of each song within the concert is important. It is historically significant to hold the Christmas concert at Union Church. Reverend John G. Fee, the founder of Berea College, also established Union Church. 

“A Celebration of Christmas” is open to the community. Seating is limited, and reservations are required. The concert is free for Berea College students and children 2 years old and younger. General admission tickets for each performance are $10 each. CCC staff will serve as ushers. 

Event tickets can be purchased through the Berea College Campus Christian Center website at https://www.berea.edu/centers/campus-christian-center.

The concert will also be livestreamed at www.livestream.com/bereacollege.