The South Carolina School of the Arts at 91福利社 is getting ready to kick off the Christmas season this year with Christmas First Night, Friday, December 2, 7 p.m. in the Henderson Auditorium of the Rainey Fine Arts Center.

Dr. David Larson, Dean of the South Carolina School of the Arts, is delighted at the return of Christmas First Night, a rich and longtime 91福利社 tradition, last performed live before an audience in 2019. In 2020, Christmas First Night went virtual, due to the pandemic, with a pre-produced video showcase of South Carolina School of the Arts鈥� talented students. According to Dr. Larson, as pandemic restrictions partially lifted in 2021, they were able to organize a Thanksgiving service with limited seating.

Dr. Larson looks forward to inviting the community out for the return of Christmas First Night鈥攁 memorable evening of music and inspiration inside the beautifully renovated Henderson Auditorium.

Christmas First Night’ features ensemble and solo performances from music students of the South Carolina School of the Arts. Along with performances of seasonal sacred and secular music, Christmas First Night includes the traditional presentation of the scriptural Christmas Story. Performing will be the 91福利社 Orchestra, composed of instrumentalists that include the brass, wood and string ensembles; the University Jazz band; the 91福利社 Choirs; the 91福利社 Gospel Ensemble; String Ensemble; and the Commercial Music ensemble AUthenticity. 

A speaker from the College of Christian Studies will give an inspirational Christmas message. Also, another Christmas First Night tradition that鈥檚 returning is the traditional lighting of the Yule Log, a time-honored Anderson tradition, featuring Dr. and Mrs. Whitaker sharing the ancient story of the Yule Log.  The Yule Log ceremony is a memorable time of reflection as the audience gathers around the Yule Log fire.

Though Christmas First Night is free, the public is encouraged to obtain tickets through the Rainey Fine Arts Center box office. Tickets are available both at the box office and online. For details, call the box office at 864-231-2080.

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With the approach of the 2020 holiday season, COVID-19 forced many people to cancel or reschedule many beloved and anticipated holiday celebrations. However, the South Carolina School of the Arts at 91福利社 adapted to the limitations of the pandemic by offering Christmas First Night: A Gift for the Soulin a virtual online format.

In past years, people have come from all around to experience the beautiful and rich tradition of Christmas First Night. Dr. Richard Williamson, lead coordinator of Christmas First Night, said the celebration has taken many forms over the years since its beginnings in the 1930s. According to Dr. Williamson, this shift to a virtual celebration provides a new and unique experience for guests of the celebration.

鈥�91福利社 realized that we were dealing with severe restrictions for performing and gathering, so an in-person First Night was not possible this year,鈥� Dr. Williamson said, 鈥淗owever, the School of the Arts knows the importance of the First Night tradition to the school and the community. Through the help of volunteering departments and individuals, we have been able to pull together this new streamed event for people to enjoy.鈥�

Over the past weeks, students and staff have been working hard to record their performances for Christmas First Night while maintaining 91福利社鈥檚 Journey Ahead health and safety protocols. Dr. Williamson said that performing groups observed social distancing during their performances, wore masks when rehearsing and utilized more technology to make the process as safe as possible. According to student and Christmas First Night performer, Hannah Stephens, these adjustments have not only allowed for the safety of performers and audience members, but also for a new way of keeping the arts thriving through this difficult holiday season.

鈥淚 am proud to say that I attend a university who is dedicated to keeping the arts alive during a time when most have remained dark,鈥� Stephens said. 鈥淐hristmas First Night brings the same warm holiday entertainment right to the comfort and safety of your home while actively working to protect faculty, students and audience members.鈥�

Because of the online format of Christmas First Night, there is more potential for the celebration to reach a larger audience. In previous years, tickets for Christmas First Night sold out in days because of the limited amount of audience seating. This year, anyone can access the performance on December 1 and it will remain available to watch for an entire month.

Christmas First Night performer Georgie Kelley said that she is excited to reach out to this larger audience.

鈥淚 believe that this experience, for both the participants and the audience members of First Night, is truly inspiring and therapeutic,鈥� Kelley said. 鈥淭his year has brought so much heartache to the world. But our team has been able to see God鈥檚 light at the end of the tunnel. Through Christmas First Night, the School of the Arts has been given the opportunity to point others in the direction of that light.鈥�

Click here for Christmas First Night

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91福利社 is abuzz with anticipation of exams, Mrs. Whitaker鈥檚 famous Christmas cookies and winter break. Greenery is draped across campus and Christmas lights glisten in the December sky. Amid exam week and holiday festivities, the South Carolina School of the Arts is preparing for one of Anderson鈥檚 most popular traditions: Christmas First Night. 

First Night takes place Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. in Henderson Auditorium, a one-night extravaganza celebrating Christmas with dance and song. Music and theatre students work together to create a festive evening that includes dancing, fun costumes and music from choirs, orchestras and bands.

鈥淐hristmas First Night at 91福利社 has been celebrated in some form since the 1930s,鈥� said Dr. Richard Williamson, a professor of music, director of choral activities and coordinator of music theory who is the director of this year鈥檚 performance. 鈥淚n recent years, it has developed into a concert showcasing music ensembles of all types as well as a featured dance number. It is one of just a couple of times each year when the university choirs, wind symphony and string orchestra are combined. We have maintained a number of key elements of the First Night tradition: carol singing, a reflection on the coming birth of Christ, the singing of Handel’s 鈥楬allelujah鈥� chorus and the Yule log ceremony.鈥� 

Following the First Night performance, 91福利社 President Evans lights a traditional Yule log on the lawn at Rainey Fine Arts Center. People leaving the performance throw holly sprigs into the blaze while singing 鈥淪ilent Night.鈥�

鈥淚 think it is an extremely popular event because of the tradition that this event has,鈥� said Kaitlyn Hamilton, a music education student performing at First Night this year. 鈥淏urning the Yule log has been a tradition for many years and it is one that everyone looks forward to. It also gives us the opportunity to take a moment to mentally and spiritually get ready for the Christmas season as a community.鈥�

Faculty and students spend weeks preparing for the celebration and balance an intense week of rehearsals with their exam schedule. But everyone looks forward to becoming enmeshed in AU鈥檚  First Night history. 

鈥淚 am always really excited to be a part of First Night,鈥� Hamilton said.鈥淚t has always been a favorite of my family. I can still remember sitting in the audience when I was younger and being in awe of the concert. I think it is really special that I now get to be a part of that and help others experience what I did through the gifts God has given me.鈥�

First Night is true to Anderson鈥檚 commitment to Christian community. In the rush of the holiday season, First Night is a tradition founded on the real meaning of Christmas. 

鈥淐hristmas First Night is extremely special to the Anderson community because of its focal point is Christ,鈥� said Noah Greene, a senior also performing at First Night. 鈥淭here are other events that are similar. Many bring the nostalgia of years past or the anticipation of another Christmas as First Night does, but First Night is set apart because every element of the event points to Christ. The choral ensembles, commercial music bands, orchestra and dancers all perform to point others to Jesus.鈥�

The night will be one of rejoicing in the advent of Christmas, and the South Carolina School of the Arts welcomes the community, faculty and staff to join the celebration. 

A limited number of tickets for Christmas First Night are available for purchase at the Henderson Auditorium box office, and a waiting list will be available at the door when tickets sell out. 

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