Sterling College Music is wasting no time ushering in the warmth and wonder of the Christmas season. In less than 24 hours, Sterling will ring with two festive concert performances designed to draw audiences straight into the heart of the holidays. After all, nothing stirs the spirit of Christmas quite like music — the familiar melodies, the traditions they evoke, and the memories they rekindle. 

Both concerts are free, open to the public, and will be livestreamed on the Sterling College Music Facebook page. These concerts promise everything from tender moments of reflection to joyful bursts of seasonal cheer—a perfect way to step into the wonder of Christmas.

The first concert will be on Saturday, December 6, at 7 p.m. at Sterling United Methodist Church, (137 N. Broadway) will feature the Sterling College Choir under the direction of Sean Foster. Entitled “Prepare the Way,” the concert reflects the themes of Advent: waiting, anticipation, and the movement from darkness into light. Foster notes that the concert is designed to highlight the hope and wonder of Christ’s coming and the love shared with the world. Audiences will hear a wide range of musical styles and languages, expressing the many emotions that flourish during the Christmas season.

Among the choir selections, Foster is especially fond of “Song for a Winter’s Night,” arranged by his former mentors from Wichita State University, Dr. Michael Hanawalt and Dr. Justine Sasanfar. He shared that it is a delight to bring music that shaped him more than a decade ago into the lives of his students today. 

The concert will also include performances by the Highland Singers, directed by Marisa Callan, featuring works by Dan Forrest and Michael Engelhardt. A trio of graduating seniors—Lily Stansbury of Lyons, Mary Little of Hutchinson, and Morgan Pellegrino of Las Vegas, Nevada—will present a special number, and a combined group of students and alumni will perform a choral/brass arrangement of “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus” to close the evening.

The Christmas celebration continues on Sunday, December 7, at 3 p.m. in Culbertson Auditorium, where the Sterling College Symphonic Band, directed by Larry Brownlee, will present “Lessons & Carols.” The concert weaves together spoken Scripture readings and musical selections that trace the Nativity story. Brownlee shared that the concert is crafted to set a peaceful, joyful tone for the start of the Christmas season and offers something meaningful for anyone who enjoys holiday music or the retelling of Christ’s birth.

Highlights of the band concert include Biebl’s moving “Ave Maria,” which begins with an intimate vocal music moment from the men of the band before blossoming into a warm, full-ensemble sound. The afternoon will also mark the conducting debuts of two junior Music Education majors: Copper Collins of Pretty Prairie, who will lead an arrangement of “Away in a Manger,” and Taggart Reiss of Hutchinson, who will conduct the Mannheim Steamroller arrangement of “Angels We Have Heard On High.” Another memorable piece is a dynamic arrangement of “We Three Kings,” originally written for the Dallas Wind Symphony, with shifting rhythms meant to mimic the uneven footsteps of camels crossing the desert.

In addition to the Symphonic Band, audiences will also enjoy performances by the SC Brass, offering their rendition of “Silent Night,” and the SC Jazz Band, which will present lively new takes on “Go Tell It On the Mountain” and “What Child Is This?”

Together, these two concerts offer a rich and heartfelt beginning to the holiday season. The community is warmly invited to share in the music, message, and joy as Sterling College Music students bring the story and spirit of Christmas to life.

Sterling College is a Christ-centered, four-year college located in Sterling, Kansas, with a mission to develop creative and thoughtful leaders who understand a maturing Christian faith. For more information, visit www.sterling.edu.