Southwestern rings in the holiday season with Prelude to Christmas

On Nov. 15 and 16, the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary family and members of the Fort Worth community, were invited to the School of Church Music and Worship’s annual “Prelude to Christmas,” a combination of all the musical talent Southwestern has to offer, as faculty and students performed various seasonal hymns and songs in order to hail the holiday season.

“Christmas comes early here at Southwestern,” David S. Dockery, the president of Southwestern, proclaimed to the audience as the performance began. “… We are thankful that you are here. This is the seminary’s gift to you. A gift not only to the seminary community, but to the community of Fort Worth.”

With a theme of “In the Fullness of Time,” the program was split into four parts, with Part I, entitled “It’s That Time of the Year.” The Southwestern Piano Ensemble began the night with an enthusiastic performance of “Sleigh Ride.” Following this was an impressive rendition of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” by Southwestern A Cappella, directed by Marc Brown, assistant professor of Church Music and Worship, and a heartfelt performance of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” from student Katie Mersch and Ben Caston, professor of voice, with Ivan Rustandi on the piano. A stark turn was taken with the performance of “Soul Cake” by Jeremy Smith and the SCMW Jazzers, which stood out with its up-tempo, jazzy beat.

Students and faculty performed a variety of pieces and styles during the 2024 Prelude to Christmas.

Joe Crider, dean of the SCMW, prepared the audience for the next piece, an electric guitar ensemble performing “Electric Tidings of Comfort and Joy.” Crider perhaps put it best when he addressed Jack Terry, the most senior faculty member of the seminary and an honored guest at the event, saying “Jack Terry, you probably didn’t hear that 55 years ago.”

Crider introduced Part II of the performance, “In the Fullness of Time,” with a passage from Galatians explaining how Jesus came to earth in the fullness of time, adding “700 years had passed from the time of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah’s prediction about the Messiah’s birth. And yet, at the perfect time, in the fullness of time, God’s promise to send a savior had finally arrived.”

This part of the concert invited the audience to join in holiday worship songs, with the Texas Baptist Band leading “All My Heart this Night, Rejoices.” The Southwestern Music Academy Children’s Choir then sang “Sweet Silent Night,” followed by “In the Fullness of Time” and “Lux Christi, Shine on Us,” bringing together the Southwestern Singers, Southwestern A Cappella, Texas Baptist College Choir, and the children’s choir.

The Southwestern Music Academy Children’s Choir sang in three pieces during Prelude to Christmas.

The Texas Baptist College Band performed “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” with the SCMW Jazzers, followed by the Texas Baptist College Choir led by Lexi Turner, Fiona Shannon, and Clay Pitman performing “O Come, All You Unfaithful,” a piece which Crider explained tells of Jesus’ welcoming of all people to Himself, clean or broken. Scott Stice and Abraham Lopez then performed an acoustic guitar duet called “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent.” The Southwestern A Cappella group sang their own rendition of “O Come, O Come Emanuel” to complete the second part of the show.

Crider introduced Part III as “‘The Time had Come.’ And the prayers of ‘O come, O come Emmanuel’ were about to be answered.”

He read from the Gospel of Luke as he shared the Christmas story with the audience, speaking of the angel Gabriel coming to Mary and informing her of that which was going to occur. The next song captured Mary’s feelings and praise as she sought to understand her role in the birth of Jesus, aptly named “Be Born in Me,” performed by Lina Cole.

Dean Joe Crider introduces upcoming parts of Prelude to Christmas, and also shares of Christ’s first coming in the fullness of time.

Next came “The First Noel with Pachelbel’s Cannon” by the Southwestern Piano Ensemble, followed by “Alleluia, Gloria in Excelsis Deo” by the Southwestern Women’s Chorus, and Southwestern’s Guitar Ensemble’s performance of “We Three Kings.”

The Cowden Hall Band performed an arrangement of “Let all Mortal Flesh Keep Silent,” which transitioned into “Come Behold the Wonderous Mystery.” The adult groups again gathered on the stage for a performance of “Do You Hear what I Hear” and brought part three to a close with “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

Finally, Part IV, titled “Eternity Wrapped in Time,” exalted in the birth of Jesus, beginning with a classical performance of “Gloria (From Gloria)” by the Southwestern Singers and Mariano Gongora providing organ accompaniment. The Southwestern Men’s Choir sang “Angels from the Realms of Glory” and all the groups, including the Southwestern Piano Quartet, performed “Joy to the World” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful with Only a Holy God” to bring the concert to a close.

Southwestern Singers, Southwestern A Cappella, Texas Baptist College Choir, and other ensembles and groups participated in Prelude to Christmas.

Brown said he was thrilled with the performance the students gave during the two performances.

“I am continually amazed by the talent, maturity, work ethic, and commitment to Christ exhibited by our students!” Brown said. “Our students demonstrated that Southwestern’s School of Church Music and Worship remains committed and ready to train worship leaders, pastors, and musicians to serve Southern Baptist Churches – no matter where their local church’s worship lands in the musical spectrum.”

He was also pleased with the number of people who came, specifically the groups that came with churches to the event.

“I was very encouraged to see how several area churches brought large groups of people to the concerts,” Brown said, “demonstrating how the Prelude to Christmas concerts are building a reputation in the Metroplex as a destination event that kicks off the holiday season.”

Chuck Lewis, associate dean of church music and worship and producer of the program, said he was proud of the performance given, saying instead of “putting on a show,” they were providing a ministry.

“I am incredibly blessed how our students, the Lord uses their gifts and talents,” Lewis said. “That they can selflessly and sacrificially… share the Christmas story.”

Approximately 2,500 people combined attended the two performances.