Courtesy Image / The Bison
Albert J. Geiger professor of finance Dr. Dan Reeder Emceed Christmas Chapel.
Vicki Coolidge
Assistant Arts Editor
It’s that time of year again. Christmas will soon be upon us, and you know what that means, Christmas Chapel is approaching.
Students, faculty, and alumni, all come together to celebrate this event together.
Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 10:00 a.m., the annual Christmas chapel will take place in Raley Chapel.
Singing and entertainment will be heard and seen at what many say is the best chapel of the year.
All the music groups on campus will perform. Christmas chapel will feature University Ringers, Bisonettes, Symphonic Winds, True Voice, Bison Glee Club, Bi- son Jazz Orchestra, University Chorale, and 519 Collective with the Gospel Choir.
“Most of the ensembles of the College of Fine Arts perform a Christmas work – some of these can be sacred, others might be secular. There is also an emcee (Dr. Dan Reeder) who interjects fun facts about student life during the Christmas sea- son,” Burton H. Patterson professor of music, and conductor of the Bisonettes, Dr. James Vernon said.
To be fully prepared for the performance, the groups start practicing early.
“We start Christmas music around mid-semester, so we spend a considerable amount of time and energy preparing for this and Hanging of the Green,” Vernon said.
One will hear many popular Christmas songs at chapel, but with a twist.
“We are singing an arrangement of “Sleigh Ride,” a favorite Christmas piece,” Vernon said.
All the classic Christmas songs and musical performances have been a tradition at OBU for many years.
In addition to the music performances, Christmas chapel includes a mixture of songs, videos, and comedic comments; all of which hope to leave audiences laughing, smiling, and getting into the Christmas Spirit.
” [Christmas Chapel] happened every year since I have been here (1990) and I know it went on years before that. Mr. Jim Brown emceed until his retirement in the mid-1990’s, when Dr. Reeder took over,” Vernon said.
Christmas chapel has been continued for several years with new people stepping up to lead the annual chapel service.
“This is my fifteenth year at OBU and I have been co- ordinating the musical side of Christmas Chapel for the last two or three years,” professor of church music Dr. Lee Hinson said.
Christmas chapel holds a special place in many OBU students and employees Christmas traditions and is one of the most highly at- tended campus events each year.
“[Christmas chapel] is a unique event and a very popular chapel. Potter Auditorium is generally full with students, prospective students and even some from the community. It is a time for humor, Christmas carols, and crazy video skits with maybe a little seriousness and worship thrown in,” Hinson said.
To stand out, interesting costumes are worn to show their Christmas spirit.
“The students who perform in Christmas Chapel wear all kind of things. One year a singer in the University Chorale poked a string of Christmas lights through a sweater and plugged them in when the Chorale sang,” Hinson said.
Showing their love for San- ta’s reindeers, many students channeled their inner animal and dressed up as one of the cute furry creatures.
“Reindeer antlers are also in abundance,” Hinson said.
Due to the exciting nature of it all, Christmas chapel is one of the most highlighted chapels all year. OBU values tradition, and the festive Christmas chapel tradition has been going on for many years.
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