Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2007-11-19

Samford will celebrate the Christmas season with a myriad of musical presentations, worship services and other events during the coming weeks.

Pre-December events include the traditional Hanging of the Green and Lighting of Way ceremony on Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. in Reid Chapel. Samford's version of the Old English custom will feature music by the Bells of Buchanan and University Chorale.

The service, presented by Samford Ministries and the School of Performing Arts, will include the Chrismon Tree ceremony. Ornaments reflecting symbols of Christianity will be presented by two Samford families: president Andrew Westmoreland, his wife Jeanna and daughter Riley; and religion professor Scott McGinnis and his wife Beth.

Fourteen senior honorees will assist with the program. They were nominated by campus organizations, faculty and staff, and selected for their Christian discipleship, leadership, scholarship and overall contribution to life at Samford.

This year's honorees are: Lyndsay Cogdill, Lauren Doss, JohnMark Edwards, Andrew Garnett, Phillip Gewin, Abby Hebert, Rob Howell, Tessa King, Bob Miller, Isaiah Same, Candice Selph, Bobby Smith, Amber Tatum and Emily Whitworth.

Lighting of Way, with music and illumination of the 24-foot tree on Centennial Walk, will follow the Hanging of the Green.

Both events are free of charge and open to the public.

Musical Offerings 

The School of Performing Arts will welcome alumna and operatic star Susan Patterson as the featured soloist at the Festival of Christmas Music Saturday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. Samford choirs, orchestra and bands, and theatre actors will fill the Wright Center Concert Hall stage for an entertaining and meaningful evening. Dr. Timothy Banks will conduct.

Patterson's career includes performances with the Metropolitan Opera, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. The soprano has recently recorded a landmark release of all-Puccini arias.

Admission is $10 adults, $8 senior adults, $6 students/children. For tickets, call (205) 726-2853 or go to www.samfordartstickets.com. 

Samford's youngest musicians, those enrolled in the School of Performing Arts' Preparatory Department, will present two days of holiday recitals. Pianists will perform in Hodges Chapel on Dec. 1 at 10 and 11 a.m. and on Dec. 2 at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Vocalists perform Dec. 1 at noon in Bolding Studio. Performers range from pre-school to high school age. The events are free.

The Bells of Buchanan will present a concert of Christmas music Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Brock Recital Hall. The ringers will play a range of both lively and reverent tunes including Silent Night (with flute) and Trepak from the Nutcracker. Billy J. Strickland conducts the 13-member handbell choir. The event is free of charge and open to the public.

International Salute  

Samford's department of world languages and cultures and department of classics will present the popular "Christmas Around the World" convocation Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 10 a.m. in Reid Chapel.

The annual event– free of charge and open to the public–will include scripture reading and singing of familiar Christmas songs in Hebrew, Latin, Greek, Arabic, German, Japanese, French, Russian, Spanish and English.

Spirit of Giving 

Several offices have led campus involvement in the Salvation Army Angel Tree program to provide special holidays for local children and families in need. Through the generosity of Samford students, faculty and staff, 125 "angels" have been adopted. The Samford effort is coordinated by the Student Government Association, Freshman Forum and Office of Student Involvement.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.