Singing songs of holiday cheer: Students and staff will come together to hold annual concerts for the Lynchburg community

Hundreds of Liberty students and staff will come together to create the annual Christmas on the Boulevard concerts Dec. 5 and 7.

The first performance began in 2014 in the old Towns Auditorium and was relocated to the School of Music Concert Hall in 2016 as the audience began to grow and Liberty’s campus expanded.

Tuesday night’s performance, titled “Pops,” will showcase contemporary Christmas numbers performed by the School of Music (SOM) worship choirs, a guitar ensemble, a brass ensemble, a symphony orchestra, E-41, SHINE and LU Praise. The pops concert will also include an original piece entitled “The King is Born,” which was written by Cameron Barrett, current music major, and arranged by Bradley Knight.

Thursday night’s “Classic” concert will contain traditional holiday favorites and excerpts from George Handel’s “Messiah.” This concert has been a staple since it began years ago. The Liberty Concert Choir, University Chorale and Chamber Singers will be performing during the concert.

Both the pops and classics concerts include a full orchestra, bringing a variety of sounds to the audience.

“Attending Christmas on the Boulevard has become a holiday tradition for many members in the LU and Lynchburg community,” Stephen Muller, dean of the School of Music, said. “The students studying music at Liberty and others participating in Christmas on the Boulevard are so talented, and this is a great opportunity for them to share their musical gifts with the community.”

This event allows the students of the School of Music to be able to share their gifts and talents with the Lynchburg community.

“COTB is our gift to our community, including LU, Lynchburg and the surrounding areas,” Muller said.

Tickets for both events are sold out, but information on the concert is available at this website.

Twitchell is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion