Editor's note: On-demand audio for YourClassical MPR’s 150th-anniversary celebration of excellence at St. Olaf College, along with a playlist, is expected to be added Dec. 9.
The St. Olaf Christmas Festival has become one of the nation's most cherished holiday celebrations. This year's presentation, “Our Hope for Years to Come,” features more than 500 student musicians in three performances at the Northfield college, including a livestream of one of them that you can watch here at 2:45 p.m. central Sunday, Dec. 8. Then join us starting Dec. 9 as we celebrate 150 years of excellence at St. Olaf College.
Started in 1912 by F. Melius Christiansen, founder of the St. Olaf College Music Department, the festival includes hymns, carols, choral works and orchestral selections celebrating the Nativity. It will feature the St. Olaf Choir, the St. Olaf Orchestra, the St. Olaf Cantorei, the St. Olaf Chapel Choir, the Manitou Singers and the Viking Chorus, performing as individual groups and as a massed ensemble.
Livestream
To follow along with the Dec. 8 livestream, here’s the official program booklet for this year's presentation, “Our Hope for Years to Come.”
2024 St. Olaf Christmas Festival - Official Program
‘St. Olaf Christmas Festival: Celebrating 150 Years of St. Olaf College’
For one and a half centuries, St. Olaf has been a hub of connections, knowledge, and growth. And for more than a century, the St. Olaf Christmas Festival has been a cherished part of that history. Join us as we celebrate their legacy. Listen to this YourClassical MPR special starting Dec. 9.
Sponsors
Radio broadcasts of the St. Olaf Christmas Festival are made possible as a gift to the community by Tad and Cindy Piper.
Video is produced through the generosity and support of St. Olaf's sponsors:
Paul and Margot Grangaard
David and Cynthia Hill
The Mark and Laura Johnson Family
Tim and Jan Maudlin with gratitude for the Lutheran Center for Faith, Values and Community
The Tomson Family Foundation
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