Hi everyone! My name is Ellen and I serve as Development Coordinator here at LSM. As a member of the national staff, I work year-round from our offices in the Twin Cities. I’ve been working here since last August, but this is my very first LSM. I have to say that I’m having an absolutely fantastic time so far. I have wonderful colleagues, and the enthusiasm the students have for the music they are making together is truly inspirational.
Yesterday was a pretty special day at LSM—CHRISTMAS EVE! Since our theme is “Always Advent” we decided to celebrate the Christmas holiday twice this year. Yesterday’s festivities included the LSM Festival of Hymns, which was held in Luther’s beautiful Center for Faith and Life. The Chapel Choir did an incredible job putting together several pieces of seasonal music, including “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning”—my personal favorite.
One of the best parts of my job here is connecting with the local community to invite them to our many concerts and recitals. We’ve had lots of guests over the last three weeks, and the Festival of Hymns was no different. Around 80 people joined us last night, many of them from Decorah. One woman shared with me that she had been travelling for three days, and the music the students made was “just what she needed.” It reminded me of a reflection Chaplain Wayne gave a couple weeks ago about the capacity of music to heal and inspire. I saw that in the faces of our many guests as they sang Christmas hymns and listened to the students perform—it was a powerful reminder of what makes LSM such a special place.
The students continued their Christmas Eve celebrations back in the dorm after the Festival of Hymns. Each of them left a shoe outside their door for St. Nick and when they woke up this morning, the shoes were filled with candy! I was worried Santa might have forgotten about the staff, but when I arrived at the office this morning I found TWO bags of M&Ms in my mailbox. Whew! I think there is a special party happening tonight, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to hear about that. Merry Christmas!
Filed under: 2009
