College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

On the fourth floor of University of Dayton’s Fitz Hall, it’s Christmas all year round.

“Every day I walk past the nativities displayed outside the Marian Library Workshop and every day I see something new,” said Julia Randel, Department of Music chair. “It’s amazing to me how many different ways there are to envision the Christmas story. I especially love that so many of the artists who created these nativities imagined musicians as part of the scene.”

The workshop’s staff and volunteers often do their work to the accompaniment of music coming from the nearby practice rooms. When choosing nativity sets to display in Fitz Hall, they often select those that include musicians.

“It got me thinking, there are so many different ways to celebrate this story in music, too,” Randel said. “How could we weave it all together?”

The result is a Department of Music concert at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Dayton Masonic Center, 525 W. Riverview Ave. in Dayton. The concert is free and open to the public.

The concert will feature nearly 200 students from across the University. It will include performances by the University Chorale, University Orchestra, Choral Union, World Music Choir, Ebony Heritage Singers, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Early Music Ensemble, Dayton Jazz Ensemble, Javanese Gamelan and more.

The format of the program is inspired by the Anglican-style Lessons and Carols service, with readings, music and opportunities for the audience to sing along to some favorite carols.

Each “lesson” includes music and words from different time periods and parts of the world, which speak to a different part of the Christmas story. They emphasize themes that resonate across cultures and faith traditions: a promise of hope for the future; the miracles of motherhood and birth; the mystery of the night sky; and kings coming from afar. Images from the University’s crèche collection will be projected throughout the concert.

Faculty member Eric Knorr, artist-in-residence in trumpet, is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force Band of Flight and of the annual holiday concerts that group performed at the Dayton Masonic Center for more than 30 years. He was sorry to see this Miami Valley tradition end in 2015.

“Personally, I was always excited to perform for our ‘home’ crowd,” Knorr said. “The holiday concerts always were a showcase of all the parts of the band. It is in this spirit that I am really looking forward to the UD Department of Music's presentation. Many of the department's ensembles will be on display to entertain and celebrate the season's musical gifts.”

Gabriella Klotz, a senior vocal performance major from Elm Grove, Wisconsin, shares this enthusiasm for the diverse, collaborative program.

“Having a department-wide Christmas concert affords music students an exceptional opportunity in performing together,” Klotz said. “Often times, we are divided by ensemble for our holiday programs and, this year, we get to show the greater UD community what we can do as a whole. I’m excited to perform unique music from many different cultures in this one-of-a-kind holiday program.”

Buses for students who wish to attend the concert will begin loading in front of the RecPlex at 2:15 p.m. and depart for the Masonic Center by 2:30 p.m. They will return to campus at the conclusion of the event, around 5 p.m.