Harmonious Holidays: Celebrating the Spirit of Christmas at Washington Adventist University’s Annual Concert

 

TAKOMA PARK, MD – Christmas season at Washington Adventist University officially kicked off on Dec. 1 with the university’s annual Christmas concert.  The university’s music department, known for its high standards, worked diligently to ensure an exceptional experience for the sizable audience.

Orchestra Co-Director Dr. Brian Liu praised the university’s Christmas concert as a “huge success,” highlighting performances by major ensembles such as the Washington Concert Winds, the Columbia Collegiate Chorale, and Pro Musica. The concert, featuring a unique piano piece by student Valeria Bentivegna performing George Crumb’s ‘A Little Suite for Christmas’ was seen as the start of the Christmas season for the community. 

Dr. Liu, collaborating with Drs. Preston Hawes, Anwar Ottley, and Samantha Clarke, emphasized the program’s diversity and freshness, including both familiar Christmas carols and other seasonally appropriate pieces like John Rutter’s ‘Magnificat.’ The concert’s varied program and the involvement of music department students were key to its success and its role in the university’s tradition.”

“There is something about music in the Christmas season that goes together,” continued Dr. Liu. “Our goal is to engage the audience in the best possible way, mixing familiar songs with specific chosen pieces. Every year the Christmas concert brings its own uniqueness, a flavor which set it apart from all the previous ones.”

For the Takoma Park and WAU community, the magic of Christmas is in the fabric of the concert in Sligo Church. The significant attendance is always a witness of the spiritual role that music plays in connecting people with the holy atmosphere of Christmas.