At Trinity, the holiday season is a time for joyful music, self-reflection, and spending time with friends and loved ones. Since the early 1900s, Trinity’s community has brought the holiday spirit into San Antonio while cultivating a festive community on campus. Today, Tigers enjoy a weekend of holiday traditions to cap off the semester and usher in the season.

Christmas Concert

Trinity considers the annual Christmas Concert its gift to the San Antonio community. Many different ensembles, from choir to handbell and orchestra, join together for an evening of holiday music and sing-a-longs. Prior to the concert, alumni gather in the Great Hall for a dinner.

Trinity’s Department of Music held its first annual Christmas concert in 1994. Admission was free and open to the public, as it remains today. Trinity’s choir and orchestra students have performed in Christmas concerts for the city as far back as 1949, when they joined the San Antonio Symphony for a concert at Municipal Auditorium. More recently, Trinity has shared its gift of music beyond the San Antonio community through live streaming on the Tiger Network, broadcasting to a worldwide audience.

Vespers

The Sunday following the Christmas Concert, Trinity’s community gathers in Parker Chapel for an annual Christmas service. The 1925 Mirage contains the first mention of the Christmas Vespers service, making the tradition at least nearly a century old. Candlelight illuminates Parker Chapel as the choir sings Silent Night, creating a humble and awestruck ambiance.

Christmas on Oakmont

                

Immediately following Vespers, the Trinity community descends upon Oakmont Street, where the University president and leadership open their homes to students, alumni, and faculty and staff. A tradition that dates back to at least the 1970s, Tigers roam house to house, encountering tasty treats, festive music, and good friends along the way.