HSU Prepares for Christmas

The Hardin-Simmons campus is transforming into a winter wonderland, as various departments decorate their office spaces for the annual contest. Soon, campus will come aglow with lights and Christmas activities.

Christmas Party T-Shirt Design

University Christmas Party

The HSU Family will gather to celebrate the birth of Christ and light the campus on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. There will be activities for all ages, cookie decorating, hot cocoa, and a visit from Santa. The highlight of the night will be when President Bruntmyer reads the special HSU Christmas story and lights the campus at 6:30 p.m.

There will also be live performances by the School of Music’s Tuba Quartet. After the lighting, guests are welcome to take pictures with the newly lit campus. Students can order Christmas Party t-shirts in Moody Center from SABERS and SPARK members and pick them up on the night of the party.

Jazz Ensemble Concert

Directly following the Christmas party will be the HSU Jazz Ensemble Concert at 7:30 p.m. in Behrens Auditorium. The ensemble is made up of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, piano, bass, and drums.

“We will be playing all the Christmas classics, from ‘Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer’ to ‘White Christmas,’” said Dr. Jeffrey Cottrell, associate professor of low brass and theory. “Many Christmas favorites are jazzy, to begin with, but people will also enjoy hearing big band jazz versions of classics such as ‘Angels We Have Heard on High’ and ‘Silent Night.’”

The concert will also feature the HSU Student Jazz Combo, which is a six-piece group of piano, bass, drums, sax, trumpet, and trombone. They will be performing their own arrangement of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” mixed with “Carol of the Bells.”

Cowboy Band Performances

On Friday, the Cowboy Band will perform at the annual Ranger Lighted Christmas Parade. This year’s theme is “A Red, White, & Blue Christmas.” The parade will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Downtown Main St., Ranger, Texas. After the parade, the Cowboy Band will also perform at the gazebo in the park.

After their performance in Ranger, the Cowboy Band will perform on Saturday at the Dallas Holiday Parade. The parade begins at 10 a.m. in Downtown Dallas.

Six White Horses Performances

The Six White Horses will also be performing at the Ranger Christmas Parade and the Dallas Holiday Parade. In addition, they will perform at the Fox 15 Christmas Lights Parade in Abilene on Nov. 27, the Anson Christmas Parade on Dec. 8, and the Knox City Christmas Parade on Dec. 15.

Abilene Philharmonic

The HSU Concert Choir will be featured at the Abilene Philharmonic’s performance of “Coming Home for Christmas” on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the Abilene Civic Center. The concert has a shortened matinee performance at 3:00 with general admission pricing, tailored for children. The full performance will be at 7:30 p.m.

Choral Showcase

The HSU Chorale, UpBeat, and Concert Choir will perform on Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Woodward-Dellis Recital Hall. The show will feature some Christmas music as well as other pieces.

Cowboy Kids’ Christmas Party 2017

Cowboy Kids’ Christmas Party

FreshCo and the Baptist Student Ministries will be hosting an annual Christmas party for neighborhood children on Dec. 4 from 2:30-5:00 p.m. Each student will be partnered with a child for the afternoon. Together they will make crafts, play games, go to the HSU cafeteria, and open presents.

Registration to participate in this event is closed. However, the BSM is accepting donations to help purchase dinner for the children in the dining hall.

Band Christmas Concert

The HSU Concert Band will perform Christmas favorites on Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Behrens Auditorium. Everyone is welcome to attend this free event.

La Posada

On Dec. 6, the Spanish Department will be hosting La Posada, a Mexican Christmas tradition, at 3:30 p.m. La Posada is a representation of Joseph and Mary looking for shelter in Bethlehem. At the event, students will perform the search for shelter, sing Christmas carols, break piñatas, and enjoy churros.