OBU to Celebrate Annual Hanging of the Green on December 5

The Oklahoma Baptist University Division of Music will present the 88th annual Hanging of the Green Christmas event with the theme “A Joyful Hallelujah” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, in the Recreation and Wellness Center on the OBU campus in Shawnee. Advance reservations are not required.

The celebration will feature three OBU choirs — the University Chorale, the Bisonette Women’s Glee Club and the Bison Glee Club — along with the OBU/Shawnee Community Orchestra. The University Ringers, under the direction of Dr. Patty K. Nelson, chair of the Division of Music, professor of vocal music education and coordinator of music education, will provide pre-event music from 6:30 to 6:55 p.m.

The prelude, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” will be provided by Dr. Mark Franklin, the Burton H. Patterson professor of music and assistant professor of music, on piano, and his wife, Dr. Rebekah Franklin, lecturer in music history, on cello.

Under the direction of Dr. Stephen Sims, the Clair McGavern–Nancy Montgomery professor of music and associate professor of music, the Bison Glee Club will perform “Pastores a Belen” by Emily Crocker and “There Is Faint Music” by Dan Forrest.

The Bisonette Women’s Glee Club, directed by Dr. Joshua Chism, associate professor of music, choral and vocal, will perform “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” arranged by Pinkzebra, “The First Noel” arranged by Dan Forrest and “O Come, All You Unfaithful” by Bob Kauflin and Lisa Clow.

The University Chorale, also under Chism’s direction, will present “No Night There” by Dan Forrest, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” by Dan Forrest and “Away in a Manger (Forever Amen)” by Phil Wickham arranged by Molly Ijames.

The OBU/Shawnee Community Orchestra, directed by Dr. Timothy Kaiser, assistant professor of instrumental music education and director of instrumental activities, will perform “Fantasia on ‘Greensleeves’” by Ralph Vaughan Williams and “The Sussex Mummers’ Christmas Carol” by Percy Aldridge Grainger.

Hanging of the Green is hosted by the OBU Division of Music and the Office of Student Life. First held in 1937, the annual holiday tradition has been celebrated in various campus locations and moved to Raley Chapel in 1961. The event is currently held in the Recreation and Wellness Center during chapel renovations.