Will Kesling waved his baton, and the orchestra played as the choir sang Sunday night.
"I’m dreaming of a white Christmas," it chanted.
UF’s College of the Arts and School of Music hosted its 60th annual holiday concert, "Sounds of the Season: An American Holiday." This year, UF President Kent Fuchs narrated Longfellow’s "Christmas Bells," a holiday story of tragedy and hope.
The Phillips Center for Performing Arts was packed with attendees, who sat on folding chairs on the second floor. More than 300 students and Gainesville locals performed with UF’s Concert Choir, UF Women’s Chorale, UF’s Symphony Orchestra and the Gainesville Master Chorale.
"Obviously folks love it," Kesling said. "They pack this place every year."
Before the show began, families donned dress shirts and tights lined up for tickets. They snaked past the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, flowing over into the parking lot. By the time doors opened at 6 p.m., the free tickets were all given out.
The UF Symphony Orchestra played traditional Christmas songs, like "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "The Little Drummer Boy." The choirs, made of both the UF and local groups, harmonized as audience members smiled.
After "Oh, Holy Night," in which a solo singer’s voice rang through the auditorium, the audience gave a standing ovation.
To conclude the evening, Fuchs narrated Longfellow’s "Christmas Bells," which told the story of a man who lost his wife and struggled through the season. But Kesling said the story was one of hope because people can always find joy during the holidays.
Fuchs said he was excited to participate for the first time and thought the event was a gift to the community.
It’s a wonderful part of the Gainesville community and a nice example of how the university and the community come together, he said.
Kesling said the holiday concert was important.
"You know how ugly the world is, right?" he said. "This is a chance to escape all that."
The concert ended with a final "hallelujah," and the choir sang the Christmas carol. As audience members stood up to leave, they stopped in their aisles, and they listened to the last sound of the season.
Jamey Wright, who performed "Hallelujah," said she’s participated in the event for four years.
"I have to admit, at the end of the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus, I was tearing up," the 21-year-old UF music senior said. "It was out-of-this-world incredible."
