Combined USU choirs perform annual Winter Songs concert

As the lights dimmed inside St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, a dark-colored bell — crafted in Tremonton — rang a dissonant pitch below F before welcoming the familiar song "O Come, Emmanuel."

Through sacred and secular music, the annual Winter Songs concert has helped many in Cache Valley feel the Christmas spirit for years.

With the ring of that bell, the combined choirs of Utah State University were able to ring in another successful Winter Songs concert Thursday night.

Noah Packer, a freshman at USU and a member of the Chorale and Chamber Singers, said he's thankful to be a part of a historic tradition.

"It just makes me happy that we're able to sing Christmas songs," Packer said. "I'm glad that choir hasn't fallen to political correctness and that we're still able to sing these types of songs in a public setting at school."

Packer said he thinks the concert is well attended due to the strong messages and themes of the music.

"I've sung in a lot of choirs and a song can sound really cool, but if the message isn't there than there's no emotional trigger," Packer said. "With Christmas music though, the message is there and people are able to feel it."

Claudia Bigler, the director of the Women's Choir, said she starts Christmas a bit earlier than most people.

"I've spent my whole career starting Christmas in October," Bigler said. "For me it's a much bigger portion of the year than for other people."

Bigler also said she believes that Christmas should have one central purpose; to focus on Christ.

"I'm one of the people in the camp of Christmas being about Christ," Bigler said. "It's not about frosty the snowman, it's about Christ."

Dr. Cory Evans, the director for the Chorale, Chamber Singers and the combined chorus, has been using St. Thomas Aquinas Church for a number of years to host Winter Songs and to record with the choirs.

Bigler said the church setting helps make the evening so special.

"Music that fits this pure space is so smart," Bigler said. "Part of the magic of the evening is the room and setting of this place, as well as amazing opening and closing numbers."