30th annual Festival of Lights returns to AU on Dec. 12

ASHLAND, Ohio – The Festival of Lights makes its return to the Ashland University campus on Sunday evening, Dec. 12. The 30th edition of this celebrated event, a collaboration between the choral music program and the Office of Christian Ministry at AU, will take place at the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel, beginning at 7 p.m.

Part worship service with choral selections and part concert with scripture readings and prayers, the Festival of Lights features three participating choirs: Ashland University Choir, conducted by Rowland Blackley; Ashland University Women’s Choir, conducted by Abigail Helbling; and community-based Ashland Area Chorus, also conducted by Blackley. Serving as organist for the performance will once again be Timothy Guenther, adjunct instructor of music at AU.

The evening begins with an organ prelude of appropriate seasonal offerings, followed by the choirs formally processing down the aisles while singing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” According to Blackley, this ancient Advent hymn prepares the audience “for the various scriptural and choral emphases to come: prophecy, fulfillment, announcement and adoration.”

In addition to the traditional candlelit “Silent Night” and “Go, Tell It on the Mountain,” some of this year’s choral selections will include “O Magnum Mysterium” and “Hodie Christus natus est” by French composer Francis Poulenc, “Glory to God in the Highest” by Randall Thompson, “Psallite” by Michael Praetorius, “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming,” arranged by Hugo Distler and “A King is Born,” arranged by Tim Sarsany.

For more information, contact Rowland Blackley, director of choral activities and professor of music at Ashland, at 419-289-5114 or rblackle@ashland.edu.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.