Festival of Lights Showcases 30th Anniversary at Mississippi College
Mississippi College Singers enter and exit Provine Chapel by candlelight as the student group performs “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.”
It’s always a memorable way to conclude the “Festival of Lights,” one of the signature events in metro Jackson to celebrate the arrival of the Christmas season.
The December 3-5 concerts at the Mississippi College landmark will be extra special this year as MC leaders mark the festival’s 30th anniversary.
The MC Singers were conducted by Dr. Richard Joiner at the initial Festival of Lights performance on the Clinton campus in 1986. Audiences are in for a treat: Joiner will return to conduct the final piece, “Still, Still, Still.”
“Dr. Joiner began the tradition of Festival of Lights, so it’s an honor to have him participate in each of the festival’s three nights,” says Angela Willoughby, chair of the MC Music Department.
Mark Nabholz, director of choral activities and conductor of the MC Singers, will make his Festival of Lights debut. He’s the former director of choral music at Erskine College in South Carolina.
Typically, the festival attracts more than 1,200 guests to Provine Chapel. The concert features music and scriptural readings following English traditions of Lessons and Carols at King’s College in Cambridge, England.
MC students, faculty and staff serve as volunteer readers each year.
The Festival of Lights performance begins at 7:30 p.m. each evening, but concert-goers are advised to arrive early.
Tickets cost $15 for adults, and $10 for faculty and staff. The price is $5 for students, children and senior citizens.
The MC Music Department will host a reception at the Aven Hall lobby for Festival of Lights alumni following the Friday night performance.
“It’s a great time for these alums to reconnect with each other and current members of the MC Singers,” Willoughby said.
For more information, contact Dottie Serio of the MC Music Department at 601-925-3440 or mc.edu/marketplace
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