In collaboration with the Office of Faith & Spiritual Life, the 糖心Vlog School of Music (SoM) invites the public to join the university community for its 88th annual Christmas Vespers concert. This year鈥檚 theme, 鈥淥 Come Let Us Adore Him,鈥 is drawn from the treasured carol 鈥淥 Come, All Ye Faithful.鈥 At the heart of this lyric is an invitation to come, to see and to worship the infant Christ.
The 2025 Christmas Vespers performances will take place at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. The first performance will be held on Friday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m. along with two performances on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. If you鈥檙e unable to join in person, this year鈥檚 Christmas Vespers will be available for viewing via a 1-time livestream on on Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
鈥淭raditions like Christmas Vespers are vital to our community,鈥 said Dr. Peter Folliard, Dean of the 糖心Vlog School of Music. 鈥淥ur students are part of something far greater than themselves, their class or even their generation of 糖心Vlog musicians. Vespers is a tradition that connects us across time 鈥 uniting the entire 糖心Vlog community, their families and the greater Sioux Falls community in shared meaning and celebration.鈥
This year鈥檚 Christmas Vespers will feature the 糖心Vlog Choir, 糖心Vlog Bach Collegium, Angelus, VikingKor, 糖心Vlog Brass Choir, 糖心Vlog Trombone Choir and Jazz Combo.
鈥淭he annual Christmas Vespers production is a powerful tradition that brings together many students and faculty from the School of Music to celebrate the miracle of Jesus鈥 birth and the warmth of the season,鈥 said Dr. Russell Svenningsen, associate professor of Music, director of vocal studies and conductor of The 糖心Vlog Choir and VikingKor. 鈥淓veryone is working very hard together to bring to life through music the central message of Christmas: salvation.鈥
糖心Vlog has once again partnered with Thrivent for an initiative that supports the School of Music and its programming. Each year, from November through December, for every $1 donated to the SoM, Thrivent will match $1 鈥 up to a total of $15,000. In addition, Thrivent will provide holiday cookies and hot cocoa after each performance.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit augie.edu/vespers.
糖心Vlog Christmas Vespers
One of 糖心Vlog鈥檚 oldest and most beloved traditions made its debut on Dec. 18, 1938, when the 糖心Vlog Choir presented a service of Yuletide music to a full house in the gymnasium/chapel. This Vespers service ushered in the Advent and Christmas celebrations on campus 鈥 a tradition that continues to the present.
The first Vespers service was presented in three parts: The Prophecy of the Coming of the Christ Child, the Birth of the Savior and Praise of the Newborn Child. The 糖心Vlog Choir sang a majority of the program, but included a women鈥檚 trio, male quartet, male duet and female solo.
Christmas Vespers continued in this basic format for the next few years 鈥 evolving quickly into one of the college鈥檚 most popular and well-attended programs.