AU To Host Annual Candles and Carols Dec. 6
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Anderson, Ind. — Anderson University’s famed Candles and Carols performance is ready for its 60th year as the 2024 show will be held December 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Reardon Auditorium.
“I’m excited to be part of the Candles and Carols tradition and hope to bring something new to this cherished event. This year, being the 60th anniversary, our theme is ‘Light and Celebration’. The team and I have selected musical pieces that hopefully uplift our community and remind them of the joyous time the holidays bring. Another great highlight of this year’s event is that we have four different readers for each lesson, each a professor from across campus,” says Jason James, director of musical theatre and theatre. James will be conducting this year for the first time.
“There are a couple pieces of music being performed this year, ‘Angels from the Realm of Glory’ and ‘Gloria Fanfare,’ that bring multiple ensembles together in performance. I think anytime we can showcase the talents of our students while collaborating as one cohesive unit, we are truly showing some of the best work from the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.”
The event began in 1965 when Dr. Dale Bengtson, chair of the Anderson College (University) music department, had an idea. What if a Christmas gathering was created featuring all the ensembles of the music department? How special would it be if the audience was invited to sing along with traditional Christmas carols? These ideas were posed to the dean of the faculty at that time, Robert Nicholson, and soon became the cornerstone of Candles and Carols.
Admission is free and seating is open for the performance. Learn more about this special tradition online.
Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 60 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.