By Hannah Lynn, Contributing Writer
Christmas is a time to be with family, make memories, and give back to the community. Saint Leo University wanted to give back to the community by helping create lasting memories by hosting “A Saint Leo Christmas.”
Hosted on Dec. 12 and 13 at the enchanting Benedictine Hall, the event featured the Saint Leo choir, accompanied by the string and jazz ensembles, welcoming everyone from the community.
The heartwarming performances at “A Saint Leo Christmas” highlighted the remarkable talents of the choir and the captivating melodies from the jazz and string ensembles. Attendees were also treated to delightful servings of hot chocolate, coffee, and cookies as the event ended.
The concert staff warmly welcomed everyone throughout the event. Ushers guided guests to their seats at the start, while performers graciously thanked and wished a Merry Christmas to the audience at the end. This thoughtful gesture brought smiles to every attendee’s face, adding a lovely touch to the show.
The concert revolved around the theme of “What Christmas Means.” Throughout the performance, the announcer, acting as the narrator (Santa), shared various responses from people about what Christmas meant to them.
Responses varied from the birth of Jesus Christ to Christmas trees and twinkling lights. Each response cleverly led into the orchestra, jazz band, or chorus performance, setting the stage for the upcoming song. This theme beautifully illustrated how Christmas has something special for everyone to love.
Elisabella Dill, a freshman majoring in clinical psychology, and the jazz saxophonist found the performance a success. She observed that the show ran smoothly without any interruptions, and she particularly enjoyed Santa’s role as the storyteller, adding a nice touch to the performance.
“The show felt intimate with the choirs’ facial expressions, it was like you were feeling what emotion the song was trying to convey,” Dill said.
While the performers faced challenges finding time to practice due to everyone being busy with their college schedules, practicing outside of required times was difficult. Nonetheless, they managed to motivate each other to put on a great show.
“Overall, I felt that everyone who participated did really good,” said Dill. “I’m also looking for more people to participate in the jazz band.”
