University of Mary holiday program set

The University of Mary will present Christmas at Mary, its annual musical celebration of Christmas at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday in Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel in the Benedictine Center. There also will be a performance for area junior high school students Friday at noon. All performances are open to the public with no admission charge.

Christmas at Mary 2008 will feature the U-Mary Concert Choir, Vocal Jazz, Gabrieli Brass and Concert Band, as well as student solos and ensembles performing prelude music. As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the University of Mary, the program includes a number of pieces selected from Christmas concerts from throughout the university’s history, among them, “Ave Maria” by Zoltan Kodaly, “This Little Babe” by Benjamin Britten, and “Mary Had a Baby.” President Sister Thomas Welder, who was one of the university’s first choral directors, will conduct the Concert Choir in the well-known Ukrainian Christmas song “Carol of the Bells” (“Ring, Christmas Bells”).

The Sister of Annunciation Monastery will host a reception in the Tharaldson School of Business following the performances.

Area students performing include Kayla Dymess, Valley City, and Erica Lemna, Enderlin, N.D.

Tags: university of mary, mary, christmas, school, music