The Maryville music ensembles of the Orchestra at Maryville College, the Maryville College Community Chorus, and the Maryville College Concert Choir — including the smaller ensembles Off Kilter, Lads and Lassies will perform on Tuesday, December 2, at 7 p.m. in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre of the Clayton Center for the Arts on the MC campus.

The Concert Choir will kick off the night with a performance of “A Ceremony of Carols” by Benjamin Britten, according to Stacey Wilner, director of choral activities at MC. During the song’s performance, Sasha Hoenie ‘26 will perform an interpretive dance choreographed to the music.

“A Ceremony of Carols” will be followed by the small ensembles, Off Kilter, Lads and Lassies, whose members will perform more traditional carol arrangements, such as “I Saw Three Ships,” arranged by Philip Stopford; “I Wonder as I Wander,” arranged by Jenny Robison; and “Go, Tell It on the Mountain,” arranged by James McKelvey.

Following a brief intermission, the Community Chorus and the Orchestra will lead a sing-along of carols such as “What Child Is This?,” “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.”

“We will sing one selection apart from the singalong, entitled ‘Peace, Peace,’” Dr. Dwight Dockery ’05, the director of the Maryville College Community Chorus, said. “In addition to the text being an invitation to singing together, it foreshadows ‘Silent Night,’ the final carol of the evening.”

This special sing-along moment will have all in attendance coming together to rejoice the start of the holiday season.

“By ending the concert with a Christmas sing-along, we hope to transform the concert into a shared experience, inviting everyone to become part of the music,” Wilner said.

“This participation builds a powerful sense of community and optimism, reminding us that music is not only something to be performed, but something to be experienced. Especially at Christmas, a sing-along embodies the spirit of togetherness that lies at the heart of the season.”

“Christmas represents a time of the year when music brings people together through the shared joy of tradition and storytelling,” Wilner said. “Christmas is also about connection and renewal: honoring centuries of sacred and folk holiday traditions, inspiring audiences with messages of peace and hope.”

This concert has been a beloved tradition for years, Dockery added, with people of all ages and musical preferences finding joy in this festive experience.

Tickets are $20 plus tax for general admission and free for MC faculty, staff, and students, although a printed ticket from the Clayton Center box office is required for admission. For more information, call the box office at 865-981-8590.

Maryville College is a nationally ranked institution of higher learning and one of America’s oldest colleges, located in Maryville, Tennessee, between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the city of Knoxville. Maryville College offers more than 60 majors, seven pre-professional programs and career preparation from their first day on campus to their last, in the words of our Presbyterian founder, to “do good on the largest possible scale.”

Karen Eldridge, Executive Director of Communications: karen.eldridge@maryvillecollege.edu.

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