Ashland University will be hosting its 26th annual Festival of Lights Service in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel on Dec. 11.

The Festival is an event co-sponsored by the office of religious life and the music department, and although it has been an AU tradition for 26 years, Dr. Rowland Blackley, director of choral activities and music professor, says the service has evolved over the years.

“The Festival of Lights used to begin outside in the sometimes bitter cold, and then they would light the lights in the chapel including the outdoor Christmas tree by the chapel,” Blackley said. “The president would be there and would flip on a switch and the choir would sing a few songs and everybody, would walk into the church together.”

According to Blackley, this service symbolizes Christ coming into the world and is a story communicated to the audience through song.

“This is one of those events that we keep the same because people like it,” Blackley said. “I describe it as either a choral concert with lots of prayers and scripture reading a worship service with a lot of choir singing.”

Although many traditional songs are sung throughout the service, Blackley said, as a musician, his favorite aspect of this service is choosing the pieces the choir will sing.

“One of my favorite aspects is choosing new music,” Blackley said. “I try to put at least one or two new tunes in every year that we have never done before.”

Some of the musical selections will include works and setting of carols by a variety of composers including Franklin, Sirett, Gibbons, Stroope and Chesnokov.

The event has not only become a tradition for the university, but also for Ashland community members who find this event to be the beginning to the Christmas season and according to Blackley, a spiritual boost to the Christmas spirit.

“I hope when they leave, they feel that they have heard some wonderful music, maybe something they have not heard before and maybe a lot of things they have heard before and probably grow up singing and they will be sung in fair style with the organ playing loudly and the chorus’ singing right along,” Blackley said.

 This seasonal service is free and open to the students and the community beginning at 7 p.m. and doors open at 6:30.