Dinner, concert both rich in tradition
By Erik Kispert
Staff Writer
The University of Indianapolis held this year’s annual Christmas Celebration concert Dec. 7 and Dec. 9 at the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center. The latter performance was followed by the Christmas dinner for faculty and staff, hosted by Polk Food Service (PFS).
The Christmas dinner for students traditionally takes place the week before finals. Ted Polk said that he has hosted the dinner for most of the 33 years he has been affiliated with UIndy. Polk also hosts the annual feast for faculty and staff members.
Following the Sunday performance of the Christmas Celebration concert, faculty and staff members gathered in the student center for a buffet-style dinner. According to President Beverley Pitts, the event is an important tradition.
“The best part of the night is the reading of the Christmas story. It’s like ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas,’” Pitts said. “It reminds everyone what Christmas is all about.”
In years past, PFS hired a sculptor to carve ornate ice sculptures in the shapes of swans, candy canes, candles, cruise ships and vases. They have not done so in recent years in an effort to lower costs, according to Marsha Dorsey, a PFS employee.
Debra Davis, an administrative assistant in the Admissions Office, said she remembers receiving a beautiful Christmas centerpiece featuring a hurricane lamp after the dinner one year.
“Everyone dresses up for the dinner, and that helps make the atmosphere really special,” Davis said.
Polk estimates that around 300 university employees and their family members turn out for the faculty and staff dinner.
An equally important and deeply-rooted tradition is The Christmas Celebration concert. Sandra Osborne, assistant director of financial aid, said she remembers attending the concert as a little girl when her father was an employee at the university.
“It used to be held at the University Heights Methodist Church across [Hanna Avenue]. Hearing the music in a church made it even more special,” Osborne said. “The faculty members used to read the Christmas story from the scripture between songs.”
The concert has been an annual event at UIndy since 1979, when Paul Krasnovsky joined the music faculty.
“The Christmas Celebration concert is UIndy’s adaptation of the famed Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, which is performed on Christmas Eve at Kings College of Cambridge University,” Krasnovsky said.
Until the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center was completed in 1994, the concert was held at a Methodist church and featured only the choirs.
“In 1979, the music offices at UIndy were located in Good Hall, and there was not a performance space dedicated to music, so we held it at the church,” he said.
When the new fine arts building opened the format changed, and the university’s instrumental groups began performing in the concert along with the choirs.
“For the last two years, the Christmas Celebration returned to the choir-only format, but this year it will once again feature both vocal and instrumental groups,” said Peter Nichols, technical and operations manager of the fine arts center.
Krasnovsky had a few interesting stories to tell about his experiences with past Christmas concerts
“One year I was on my way to a rehearsal the day before the concert, and I slammed my middle finger in my front door,” Krasnovsky said. “I had to go to the emergency room to have it stitched up, and they told me I couldn’t conduct with it.”
Krasnovsky said that he did conduct the concert the next day, left-handed, and he had to try to hide that his right hand was wrapped in gauze in such a way that it seemed like he was making an obscene gesture.
“I got the best laughs I’ve ever heard,” he said.
Next year the Christmas Celebration concert will reach its 30th anniversary. “The Christmas season has so many traditions, and we need them,” Krasnovsky said. “This is one of those great traditions.”
