2020 Candlelight Christmas Concerts
Gonzaga presents its annual Candlelight Christmas Concerts for free in an interactive livestream experience. Concert Choir’s 60 student singers join forces with the Spokane Brass Quintet and with guitar, violin, and percussion faculty in a concert program that finds hope in this midst of the darkness of this year and season. The performance includes choral music recorded before students departed campus pre-Thanksgiving, music recorded by an virtual vocal octet of remote students, and festive brass music, alternating with host Timothy Westerhaus, live at the piano in the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center.
Make it a festive event!
Concert Dates & Times
Saturday, December 12, 7 pm PST (Brass prelude begins at 6:45 pm)
Sunday, December 13, 3pm PST (Brass prelude begins at 2:45 pm)
Follow Along: 2020 Candlelight Christmas Concert Program
Concert Program
The 2020 music draws its inspiration from figurative darkness we have experienced this year: the ongoing pandemic, struggles to achieve racial justice and equity, and ever-increasing hatred and division. Yet, it is in these moments that we see people digging in deeply to re-envision more just communities and a more hopeful future. In addition to traditional carols, the repertoire also draws its inspiration from the cultural backgrounds of our Concert Choir students, including music from Canada, Sweden, Argentina, the Mexican Baroque, the Philippines, and even Scotland with a lively arrangement of Auld Lang Syne as we look ahead with hope to the 2021 New Year.
Performing Musicians
Gonzaga University Concert Choir
Spokane Brass Quintet
Annie Flood & Henry Mauser, piano
Mellad Abeid, guitar
Jason Moody, violin
Roberta Bottelli, cello
Andrew Repsold & Sam Hendricks, percussion
Timothy Westerhaus, live piano host
Thank You to Our 2020 Concert Donors
Our Candlelight Christmas Concerts are normally the largest fundraiser for Gonzaga’s choral program, covering costs of music, collaborating musicians, and innovative commissions and guest composers. Due to the virtual format, 2020 production costs were much higher than in-person concerts, and we were pleased to offer the concert for free, recognizing the economic hardship that many face today.
Over 115 donors stepped forward with generous donations to ensure that we can continue sharing this and future performances. We are so grateful for your support, helping raise over $6,500 towards costs for our 2020 Candlelight Christmas Concert:
| John and Sandra Andresen |
| Gloria and Michael Andrews |
| Mary Amidei |
| Greg and Lori Arpin |
| Lynee Backes |
| Daryl Baird |
| Susan and William Barnes |
| Robert Bartlett |
| Bennett J. Baur |
| Mirjeta S. Beqiri |
| Caleb and Sarah Boettcher |
| Flora Bowers |
| Jaclyn M. Brandt |
| David and Joanne Buehler |
| Brian and Corinne Burton |
| Linda and Richard Cannon |
| Suzanne Capstick |
| Mary and Peter Carparelli |
| John Casey |
| Benjamin Chambers |
| Elizabeth and Michael Clark |
| Shannon Dunn |
| Stephen and Debra Duvoisin |
| Lili Engels |
| Ann Fennessy |
| David J. Flood |
| Anita Forbes |
| Daniel and Kimberly Foster |
| Margaret King |
| William Klein |
| Kjerstin Gabrielson |
| Tomas Guardia |
| Mary Hainline |
| Jessica D. Halliday |
| Gisela J. Hanks |
| Robert J. Harris |
| Douglas Elton Hawkins, Sr. |
| John P. Henry, Jr. |
| Leah and Lukas Hermes |
| Joanne Hillary |
| Craig and Kathryn Ann Hobbsworth |
| Herschel Housel |
| Maria J. Howard |
| Mark and Mary Howe |
| Patrick and Tami Hughes |
| Jeffrey V. Johnson |
| Adam Johnson |
| James Jopson |
| Kelly Kennaly |
| Jane B. Korn |
| Nicholas Lloyd |
| Francis A. Mana-ay |
| Ruth J. Manthey |
| Robert McCauley |
| Danielle McCulloch |
| James and Nancy McEachran |
| Katherine R. McFaul |
| Kathryn Mietus |
| Andrew and Lisa Miller |
| Michal Moe |
| Kristina M. Bowman Morgan |
| Robert W. Morrison |
| Camilla M. Mounts |
| Lynn Murphy |
| Claudia Necke-Lazarrato |
| Bill Nesbitt |
| Suzanne and Mark Ostersmith |
| Gordon Ritchie and Heather Easterling Ritchie |
| Claudia Rollins |
| Karen Russell |
| Erik W. Schmidt |
| Jerri S. Shepard |
| John N. Sheveland |
| William Shugg |
| Jenifer G. Skjerven |
| Sharon and Dennis Smith |
| Gale A. Snyder |
| Fred and Karen Stahl |
| Kris Sterling |
| Susan Stiger |
| Michelle Takamoto |
| Roberta Thompson |
| Paul and Cynthia Thurston |
| Kelly Tilford |
| Craig and Jelene Trewet |
| Richard and Mary Ulring |
| Thomas Westerhaus |
| Eric and Jennifer Williams |
| Mary C. Willis |
| Maria Esther Zamora |
Top page photo credit: Raphael Schaller