“A Baylor Christmas” Concert Special to Air on TV Stations in 19 States

December 18, 2018

?A Baylor Christmas,? an hour-long program produced by KWTX Television from the performances of the Baylor University Symphony Orchestra and combined choirs of the Baylor School of Music, will air on Gray Television stations throughout Texas and 18 other states during the Christmas holidays. (Robert Rogers/Baylor University)

Annual concert featuring Combined Choirs and Baylor Symphony Orchestra celebrates Christmas in music and song

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-6275
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WACO, Texas (Dec. 18, 2018) – “A Baylor Christmas,” an hour-long program produced by KWTX Television from the performances of the Baylor University Symphony Orchestra and combined choirs of the Baylor School of Music, will air on Gray Television stations throughout Texas and 18 other states during the Christmas holidays.

This annual Christmas concert, which has heralded the arrival of Christmas at Baylor for nearly 50 years, features the talent of more than 450 Baylor students and faculty, including the 82-piece Baylor Symphony Orchestra, five choirs of the Baylor choral program and the Baylor Bronze Handbells, as well as local bagpipers Fiona Bond and Torrin Longnecker.

“A Baylor Christmas” will air in Central Texas on KWTX-TV and CW-12 and will be distributed to other Gray Television stations throughout the country. (See broadcast schedule below. Check local listings to confirm airtimes.) The special also is available now for streaming on Baylor’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/baylor.

“We look forward to sharing the timeless message of ‘Peace on Earth’ with viewers everywhere,” said Lynne Gackle, Ph.D., director of choral activities, professor of ensembles and The Mary Gibbs Jones Chair in the Baylor School of Music. This is a truly a Christmas gift to our Baylor community, our state and to viewers throughout the country.

“The music – filled with splendor, beauty and the joy and excitement of the Christmas season – is captured on the faces of our Baylor students as they share their talent in this year’s presentation,” Gackle said. “It is our prayer that the message of Christmastide, which was first announced to shepherds on a far-off hill in Bethlehem centuries ago, will again touch hearts and lighten spirits as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.”

During sold-out performances Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 2, the brilliant voices of the Baylor Combined Choirs along with the talented musicians in the Baylor Symphony Orchestra resounded throughout Jones Concert Hall as they performed traditional favorites.

This year, “A Baylor Christmas” features the ever-popular candlelight processional that proclaims the birth of Christ, with the combined choirs singing “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” arranged by Brett Stewart, and “Gloria (Movement 1)” by Mark Hayes, followed by the Baylor Women’s Choir performing “And Suddenly” by Michael Engelhardt and the Baylor Concert Choir singing the Spanish carol “Esta Noche (Be Joyful Tonight),” arranged by John Rutter.

The Baylor Symphony Orchestra will take the stage for Steven Amundson’s “On Christmas Day,” followed by the Baylor Men’s Choir performing the spiritual “Keep Your Lamps!,” arranged by André Thomas; Bella Voce singing the Michael Engelhardt arrangement of “Gaudete”; and the A Cappella Choir performing the Canadian carol “The Huron Carol,” arranged by Sarah Quartel.

After an audience carol “What Child is This?,” the beautifully decorated stage in Jones Concert Hall comes alive when the combined choirs join together for “See Amid the Winter’s Snow,” arranged by Dan Forrest, and conclude with “On Christmas Night/Sussex Carol,” arranged by Brett Stewart.

Texas Broadcast Schedule

KWTX-TV, Channel 10, Waco-Temple-Killeen

CW-12, NWTX-TV, Waco-Temple-Killeen

KBTX-TV, Channel 3, Bryan-College Station

CW-8, Bryan-College Station

Laredo, Texas: KGNS-TV

Odessa, Texas: KOSA-TV

Sherman, Texas: KXII-TV, FXII-TV

Tyler, Texas: KLTV-TV

“A Baylor Christmas” also is scheduled to air on the following Gray Television stations in 18 states. (Check local listings to confirm airtimes.)

Dothan, Alabama: WTVY-TV

Anchorage, Alaska: KTUU-TV, KYES-TV

Colorado Springs, Colorado: KKTV-TV

Panama City, Florida: WJHG-TV, WECP-TV

Augusta, Georgia: WAGT-TV

Cedar Rapids, Iowa: KCRG-TV

Topeka, Kansas: WIBW-TV

Bowling Green, Kentucky: WBKO-TV

Hazard, Kentucky: WYMT-TV

Alexandria, Louisiana: KALB-TV

Monroe, Louisiana: KNOE-TV

Meridian, Mississippi: WTOK-TV

Springfield, Missouri: KYTV-TV

Hastings, Nebraska: KSNB-TV

North Platte, Nebraska: KNOP-TV

Greenville, North Carolina: WITN-TV, WITN2-TV

Fargo, North Dakota: KVLY-TV

Harrisonburg, Virginia: WHSV-TV

Roanoke, Virginia: WDBJ-TV

Charleston-Huntington, West Virginia: WSAZ-TV

Parkersburg, West Virginia: WTAP-TV

La Crosse, Wisconsin: WEAU-TV

Wausau, Wisconsin: WSAW-TV

Cheyenne, Wyoming: KGWN-TV, KCWY-TV

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC

The Baylor University School of Music provides transformational experiences that prepare students for careers in music. Our students thrive in a Christian environment characterized by a nurturing resident faculty, an unwavering pursuit of musical excellence, a global perspective, dedication to service and devotion to faith. They investigate the rich musical and cultural heritage of the past, develop superior musical skills and knowledge in the present, and explore and create new modes of musical expression for the future. While preparing for future leadership roles, the students join with School of Music faculty in enhancing the quality of community life, enriching the larger culture and making Baylor a place in which heart, mind and soul coalesce. Baylor’s School of Music is a member of the National Association of Schools of Music and the Texas Association of Music Schools. Degree programs leading to the bachelor of music education degree conform to certification requirements of the Texas Education Agency.