12 Gifts of Christmas

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (arr. Mack Wilberg)

• Choir of the West, University Chorale, and University Symphony Orchestra
• Brian Galante, conductor
• Recorded December 2018

Russian Christmas Music, excerpt (Alfred Reed)

• University Wind Ensemble
• Edwin Powell, conductor
• Recorded November 2018

O Nata Lux (Morten Lauridsen)

• Choir of the West
• Richard Nance, conductor
• Recorded December 2019

Fantasia on “Greensleeves” (Ralph Vaughan Williams)

• University Symphony Orchestra
• Jeffrey Bell-Hanson, conductor
• Recorded December 2018

The Oxen (Jonathan Rathbone)

• Fall 2020 Chamber Ensemble
• Richard Nance, director

Personal Reflections from our PLU Community

“What is your favorite Christmas Concert memory?”

Joy Shall Be Yours in the Morning (Z. Randall Stroope)

• Fall 2020 Chamber Ensemble
• Richard Nance, director

Festival First Nowell (arr. Dan Forrest)

• Choir of the West, University Chorale, and University Symphony Orchestra
• Brian Galante, conductor
• Recorded December 2017

Sing We Now of Christmas (arr. Susan Conant)

• Fall 2020 Virtual Choral Ensemble
• Brian Galante, director

Silent Night (arr. Cassio Vianna)

• Fall 2020 Jazz Ensemble
• Cassio Vianna, director

“Gloria in excelsis Deo”, from Lux: The Dawn from on High (Dan Forrest)

• Choir of the West, University Chorale, and University Symphony Orchestra
• Brian Galante, conductor
• Recorded December 2019

Beautiful Savior (arr. F. Melius Christiansen)

• Choir of the West, University Chorale, and University Symphony Orchestra
• Richard Nance, conductor
• Recorded December 2019

The annual Christmas Concerts have been an integral part of our holiday season at PLU for many years. Over several months, we followed national and international research and guidelines regarding the COVID-19 virus and its impact on our programs. Concern for the safety and care of our entire community has resulted in some very difficult decisions regarding our programs and public events.

We regretfully decided that we could not hold our traditional Christmas Concerts. Public events of this magnitude were not allowed in Washington.

In this year of change, our annual Christmas celebration became PLU’s 12 Gifts of Christmas and featured short artistic vignettes distributed on consecutive days in December. These gifts were shared via email and social media, and posted on our Christmas Concert website. They included musical works recorded this fall, performances from recent Christmas Concerts, and personal reflections from our students and faculty.

These were our gifts to the PLU community—an opportunity to continue the PLU Christmas tradition within the constraints of a worldwide pandemic.

In these unprecedented times, our artistic disciplines have the power to heal the soul, illuminate the human condition, and provide a crucial vehicle for healing. We remain together in community and spirit this year—perhaps as in no other year before.

Thank you sincerely for your support.

Dr. Cameron Bennett
Dean, School of Arts and Communication