A return to tradition: O Holy Night, 13th annual Christmas concert

Earlier this month, The College of St. Scholastica Music Program presented its cherished annual Christmas tradition, O Holy Night, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary in Duluth, MN. With over 100 student musicians performing, the cathedral space highlighted the spirit of the holidays through lighting and ambience, featuring choral, brass, and string ensembles that shared the festivities through an evening of music.

Director of Choral Activities Dr. Richard Carrick shared with WDIO, “The students work so hard. We literally work all year on this, starting in January with the planning, and the students start working on the repertoire in September when they arrive on campus. To see the space get transformed with all the beautiful lighting and to see their eyes light up when they get to present to our community is really a special thing.”

Senior choir member Lily Saccoman ’26 emphasized the dedication and effort of her peers throughout the preparation process. “Everyone worked so hard in preparing for the concerts both nights.” She also iterated the hard work and passion of her professor. “It was Dr. Carrick’s first year doing the program as a solo conductor, and he really put his heart into it and made it a fun experience.”

The concerts drew over 1,000 attendees for both nights. Around 60 attendees identified themselves as former choir members when purchasing tickets, demonstrating the continued connection of past students to the program.

In the spirit of giving at the event, a free-will offering was collected for CHUM, a non-profit organization based in Duluth that serves low-income, homeless, hungry, isolated, or marginalized community members.