Holiday events scheduled in December on campus

The Christmas season is here, and area alumni are invited to celebrate the holidays by attending special concerts and events on campus.

Upcoming events include the a lighting of the tree in front of the Annie Hogan Byrd Building and a Christmas Concert by the Band Program on Dec. 3, Lessons and Carols on Dec. 4, a holiday open house at the Doak House Museum on Dec. 7 and the annual Christmas Concert by the College’s Community Chorus on Dec. 9.

Tree Lighting, Band Program Concert

The Christmas celebrations begin with a tree lighting and the annual holiday concert by the Tusculum College band program on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Join us at 5:45 p.m. at the large tree in front of Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building for a tree lighting, carol singing and refreshments. There will be a special performance by one of the choirs from a local school as well as a time for all to join together to sing some well known Christmas carols. Wassail and cookies will be served following the brief program.

At 7 p.m., the Band program will present its annual Christmas concert in the auditorium of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building. Performing a variety of the season’s favorites will be Tusculum’s Concert Band, Jazz Band and Handbell Choir.

The Concert Band will be performing “Candelight Carol,” “Christmas Carol,” “Feliz Navidad,” “Happy Christmas (War is Over)” and “O Come All Ye Faithful.”

Christmas gets into “swing” with the Jazz Band, which will be performing “A Chili Pepper Christmas,” “Everybody’s Waitin’ for the Man with the Bag,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “It’s the Holiday Season (Happy Holiday – The Holiday Season).”

The Handbell Choir will be performing “Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella,” “I Wonder as I Wander,” and “See Amid the Winter’s Snow.”

The band program began in 2010 with the formation of a pep band and has grown to include a Marching Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Handbell Choir and various small ensembles.

Lessons and Carols

The annual Christmas chapel service, Lessons and Carols, will be at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, in the lobby of the Thomas J. Garland Library. The service will featuring scripture readings, hymns and vocal and musical performances by Tusculum students and staff.

Doak House Museum Holiday Open House

Experience a 19th-century Christmas at the Doak House Museum during its annual holiday open house on Saturday, Dec. 7.

The open house will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the museum on the Tusculum College campus. The museum, which was the early 19th century home of Tusculum College co-founder Rev. Samuel Witherspoon Doak, will be decorated for the holidays as it would have been during the 1800s.

Special activities are planned during the open house, including storytelling at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and tours of the museum at 10 a.m. and noon.

Crafts and games for children will be featured during the open house. Refreshments will be available, and door prizes will be given.

Visitors will be able to explore the Doak House Gift Shop and browse through holiday goodies, period toys and other gift ideas. Special discounts will be given during the open house. Proceeds from sales in the gift shop support the museum’s events and programs.

For more information, call 423-636-8554 or email lwalker@tusculum.edu.

Community Chorus Christmas Concert

The Tusculum College Community Chorus will present its annual Christmas concert on Monday, Dec. 9.

The chorus will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on the Tusculum College campus. David Hendricksen is the conductor for the group; James Winfree is accompanist. There is no admission charge for the concert.

The chorus will be singing a selection of the charming Alfred Burt carols.  Guest artist, guitarist Charles Tunstall will join the Chorus in three selections:  “We Three Kings,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and the original version of “Silent Night.”  The program will include a variety of other carols and compositions for the season.

A highlight will be a recently composed work by Ann Holler, professor of music at King University, with a text by Dr. John Wakefield, a retired music professor from Milligan College.  .

Founded in 1996 as a way to involve singers from throughout the community in a broad range of sacred and secular repertoire, the Tusculum College Community Chorus has grown to over 50 singers.  For further information, please contact conductor David Hendricksen by phone at 638-0409 or email:  conductordavid@embarqmail.com.