On Tuesday night, Bellarmine had its annual Christmas in the Quad concert. This event consists of hot chocolate, desserts, Christmas caroling, and a performance from all of the different musical groups here at Bellarmine. It’s a wonderful time to get together with friends, families, and even strangers, and get into the spirit of Christmas. Who doesn’t love a free concert with free food?

The evening starts off with an arrangement of desserts and hot chocolate for everyone in the foyer of the St. Loyola Center gymnasium. Then, at around 6:30, the Vocal Ensemble sings several Christmas songs. Everyone begins to chime in and soon the entire foyer is filled with singing. After this, the crowd files into the gym to begin the main part of the evening, the concert itself.

It begins with the Jazz Band playing an overture of the nutcracker and the Charlie Brown theme. Concert Choir follows suit and shows off their talents as young vocalists. The orchestra and Con Gratia are next after that. The orchestra displays the Christmas mood by playing a medley from The Polar Express. Con Gratia, even though they had a last minute change, sang a beautiful rendition of “Ave Maria”. The rest of the band and Vocal Ensemble follow, and they perform several unique pieces. The concert is wrapped up with a combination of the band, wind ensemble, and vocal ensemble. They all perform several classic Christmas songs, like “Jingle Bells” and “Silent Night”, and the whole audience chimes in, thus finishing off the evening.

In all, the annual Christmas in the Quad provides an evening of joyous laughter and singing, all while participating in the Christmas season spirit. It also allows those of the Bellarmine community to see and hear the talent and progress of the various musical groups that are an essential part of Bellarmine. The concert is an amazing experience, one that all of those a part of the Bellarmine community should partake in at least once during their time here.