AUGSBURG COLLEGE ADVENT VESPERS

Each December my Holiday activities begin with Augsburg College Choir’s Advent Vespers on the first weekend of the month.  The Vespers are now in their 35^th year, and give a total of five performances on Friday and Saturday evenings at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.  By the end of the weekend more than 10,000 people will have attended the performances, with an additional 300-plus participants making up the choirs, orchestra, and liturgical party.

The concert is about to start.

The Advent Wreath at Central Lutheran Church.

The Vespers is one of the premiere holiday events in the city and has been a part of my holiday tradition for a decade now.  Each year I organize a group of friends to go to the early evening performance on Saturday, followed by a soup dinner at my place.  While the core group remains the same from year to year, as with all of my holiday dinners, there are a few spots that rotate and change, introducing more people to this wonderful event.

Preparing for "Silent Night."

The combined Choirs.

"Silent Night .  .  .

. . . Holy Night."

The soup china . . .

. . . Waiting to set the table.

The finished dinner table. (Photo: Mike Beck)

The Advent Vespers concert and dinner have become the official beginning of the Christmas Season for me, and something that my friends and I look forward to each year. 

What I wore for Advent Vespers:    
                    French Blue Shirt:  Jos. A. Banks
               Red Cashmere Vest:  Macy's
               Bow Tie:  J. Crew
               Gray Flannel Pants:  Vintage
               Shoes:  Allen Edmonds Shelton
               Socks:  Brooks Brothers
               Watch:  Timex

               Watch Strap:  Brooks Brothers
               Phone Case: Fossil

*** What events mark the beginning of the Holidays for you?