As it has done for the last 77 years, the University of Redlands will welcome Christmas with its Feast of Lights celebration.
This time-honored tradition, which was started in 1947 by Professor J. William Jones, shares the story of Jesus Christs’ birth through tableaux and music performed by various ensembles within the School of Performing Arts.
Along with classic Christmas carols and hymns, this year’s Feast of Lights will feature the premiere of “A Boy and His Drum,” a piece created by Composition Major Mena Williams ‘25.
Rev. John Walsh, the emeritus chaplain, will also elaborate on the holy theme with spoken word. Then, halfway through the service, the Ceremony of Candles will illuminate the Chapel in a symbolic message of spreading Christs’ light throughout the world. Following the service, a live nativity scene will be on display at the north end of The Quad, near the memorial Chapel entrance.
Tickets range from $12.45 to $28.45 and can be purchased here. In accordance with this season of giving, attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable goods that Family Service Association of Redlands will then distribute to the local community.
There will be three opportunities to enjoy the true magic of the holidays that the Feast of Lights delivers, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 4 p.m. on Sunday. The weekend finale performance will feature an additional 21 members from the University of Redlands Youth Choir.
Director of Choral Activities Nicholle Andrews encourages people to attend a Feast of Lights performance and share in the holiday cheer.
“As the semester ends, with papers due, exams, and final juries approaching,” Andrews said, “the week leading up to the Feast becomes a time for us to focus on the beauty of music and the joy it brings to all.”
McKenzie Rose is a freshman at Redlands with interests in Environmental Studies and Journalism. She worked for the last three years as a freelance journalist with the Hermiston Herald, a newspaper near her hometown of Echo, Oregon. She is looking forward to covering the interesting, the exciting, and the intriguing happenings at the university for the Redlands Bulldog!
Love it, McKenzie! Thank you for sharing the details of UR events and happenings with all of us following our students’ lives along from home :). I hope you have a wonderful holiday and winter break.