SEMO celebrates Christmas with Winterfest light event, concerts

Southeast Missouri State University will host a variety of events to celebrate the Christmas season.

Winterfest

SEMO is inviting members of the community to Winterfest, a holiday light event, at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1. The event will include a lighted path on campus between Magill Hall and Brandt Hall with winter-themed displays created by SEMO student organizations, offices and academic departments.

Activities will include making snowflakes and a virtual snowball fight. Cookies and cocoa will be served and Santa Rowdy will make an appearance.

As Southeast continues to celebrate its sesquicentennial year, December marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Normal School, which held classes in two rooms of the Lorimier School until the Normal Building could be constructed.

Parking will be available in the SEMO science quad in front of Magill Hall, accessed via Greek Drive off Henderson Avenue. For more information, including the complete listing of SEMO's sesquicentennial events, visit www.semo.edu/events.

Big Band Holiday Jukebox

SEMO's annual Big Band Holiday Jukebox will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 2, in Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus, 518 S. Fountain St. in Cape Girardeau.

This holiday tradition is a collaboration of the students and faculty of Southeast Jazz Studio, the Department of Music and the Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre and Dance.

Felipe Brito, assistant professor of trombone and jazz studies at SEMO, said the concert will feature holiday favorites such as "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Eddie Pola and George Wyle. He also said they will have a variety of numbers that represent the diversity of SEMO's students.

Brito said they will perform "Feliz Navidad" by Jose Feliciano and Paul Murtha, and two Norwegian Christmas songs — "Sonjas Sang til Julestjernen" by Axel Emil Helgeland and Egil Mann-Iversen, and "Nordnosk Julesalme" by Trygve Hoff.

A Christmas Spectacular

SEMO's Wind Symphony will perform A Christmas Spectacular concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5, in Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus.

The Wind Symphony will play the festive sounds of the holiday season that woodwinds, brass and percussion bring together.

For more information and to purchase tickets for Big Band Holiday Jukebox and A Christmas Spectacular, contact the River Campus box office at (573) 651-2289 or online at www.semo.edu/river-campus-events/calendar.