A Lenoir-Rhyne Christmas celebrates peace and joy this holiday season

Lenoir-Rhyne University will host its annual celebration and musical showcase, “A Lenoir-Rhyne Christmas,” Dec. 4-6 in Grace Chapel. Tickets will be available beginning Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 7 a.m. through tickets.lr.edu at $15 per seat.

This cherished campus and community tradition invites audiences to celebrate the season with sacred choral music, instrumental ensembles and carol singing. Performances are scheduled on campus in Grace Chapel:

• Thursday, Dec. 4 – 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 5 – 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 6 – 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 6 – 7:30 p.m.

A special abbreviated chapel presentation will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 10 a.m. during the weekly chapel service. This performance does not require tickets.

“A Time for Peace and Joy”
Each year, the concert highlights a different aspect of the Advent and Christmas story. This year’s theme, “A Time for Peace and Joy,” connects the story of Christ’s birth to the hope and perseverance reflected in the university’s upcoming music initiatives.

“The theme was inspired by two events on the horizon for our A Cappella Choir,” shared Ryan Luhrs, Ph.D., director of choral activities. “In February, the choir will perform Dona nobis pacem by Ralph Vaughan Williams with area choirs and the Western Piedmont Symphony. In March, the choir will embark on a week-long tour retracing the 1961 Freedom Rides route from Washington, D.C., to Jackson, Mississippi.”

Luhrs added, “Both upcoming events demonstrate that true peace is achieved through struggle—and a belief that light can overcome the world’s darkness. As we use music to retell the Christmas story, we hope to provide our audiences with a message of hope, peace and joy.”

Performers and Details
Performers include the A Cappella Choir, College Singers, Brass Ensemble, string quintet and other instrumentalists, accompanied by piano and Grace Chapel’s pipe organ. In addition to Luhrs, faculty collaborators include Jeana Neal Borman, collaborative artist and pianist; Cory Westby ’08, organist and university cantor; the Rev. Todd Cutter ’96, M.A. ’00, M.Div. ’04, university pastor and director of spiritual life; and Christopher Nigrelli, DMA, professor of music and leader of the brass ensemble.

Seating is limited, and tickets are required for all performances. Tickets will be available starting Wednesday, Nov. 5, at tickets.lr.edu for $15 each. A ticketed livestream of the Saturday, Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m. concert will be available for $5.