Photo courtesy of Wartburg College Facebook.

For over 75 years, the Wartburg College Music Department has celebrated the Christmas season by sharing a story of peace, hope and love through Christmas with Wartburg (CWW).  

Christmas with Wartburg is an annual Christmas Program featuring over 300 musicians from Wartburg College Ensembles. Groups involved in CWW include The Wartburg Choir, Castle Singers, Wind Ensemble, Kammerstreicher, Ritterchor, St. Elizabeth Chorale, Kantorie and the Handbell Choir. This year’s Christmas with Wartburg production shares the story of “Everlasting Light.”  

Fourth-year student Lizzie Hobby is a member of The Wartburg Choir and has been a part of CWW since her first year at Wartburg.  

“I feel like it’s a meaningful experience. I mean, personally to me, every year that happens. It feels more like a program than a concert, if that makes sense, or like a service,” says Hobby.  

The theme of Everlasting Light shares a message of how your light will shine brighter and to share the light with other people. It also works through the narration to share messages of eternal light and how the audience is children of the light.  

“I feel like the theme of it each year helps bring out an even bigger meaning to it every year,” says Hobby, “The fact that it’s not the same theme every year is also very fun to learn music that coordinates with the theme.”  

For many, CWW is unlike any other Christmas concert that they have attended. It is more similar to a service, sharing music, narration and being interactive with the audience. It also provides a sense of community for the performers involved.  

First-year student Vinace Del Castillo, a member of The Wartburg Choir, chose to come to Wartburg due to the overall community aspect of the college.  Castillo earned a lot about the community within the Wartburg Music Department throughout CWW.  

“There really is a beauty in being able to create something with people you don’t know,” says Castillo, “It’s just great to be a part of a community that supports that creation.”  

During their first-year CWW experience, Castillo enjoys the opportunity to not only perform pieces with their choir but also listen to the other ensembles.   

“I like to kind of get to absorb what is going on around me instead of trying to be the sponge that spreads it,” says Castillo.  

Many ensembles within the Wartburg Music Department are ready for the busy weekend of CWW performances and sharing the music with their audience. The program is roughly two hours long, sharing pieces from a mix of choral and instrumental ensembles.  

Christmas with Wartburg will hold performances Dec. 5- 7. The Dec. 5 concert will be at 7:30 p.m. held in West Des Moines at Lutheran Church of Hope. The Dec 6-7 performances will be in Neumann Auditorium. There will be a performance at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 6. There will be a 3 p.m. matinee on Dec. 7. For more information on this weekend’s performances, visit the CWW website.