2024 A Baylor Christmas: A Holiday Concert for Community and Connection

Waco, Texas—This year's A Baylor Christmas concert celebrates a unique blend of Baylor tradition and community-centered themes, focusing on Waco’s own peacemakers and local organizations that make a difference. The program's heart lies in a commitment to foster peace and hope within the Waco community, turning its spotlight onto seven local nonprofits that embody these ideals.

Inspired by Howard Thurman’s poem The Work of Christmas, which encourages meaningful service once festivities end, the concert will explore the themes of compassion, justice and love. Waco nonprofit organizations will be featured throughout the concert including The Cove Waco, Church Under the Bridge, Shepherds Heart Pantry, Mission Waco Manna House, Baylor Missions, Mission Waco Creekside Community Development and Baylor’s School of Music Oso Musical youth program.

“Howard Thurman’s poem reflects values that resonate deeply with the holidays—caring for the vulnerable, feeding the hungry and uplifting the overlooked,” said Kristina MacMullen, D.M.A., The Mary Gibbs Jones Chair in Music at Baylor University and director of A Baylor Christmas.

Alongside traditional music, this year’s concert will feature two newly commissioned arrangements for the Baylor Men’s Choir and the Baylor Symphony Orchestra. 

“We’re excited to expand our repertoire and bring fresh arrangements into the program,” said MacMullen. “This addition not only enriches the concert experience but also represents Baylor’s ongoing investment in both innovation and tradition.”

The concert venue change to Waco Hall is another exciting shift, allowing the concert to welcome more than 6,500 attendees—a significant increase from past years. Ticket prices also vary to accommodate families and groups from across the Waco area, with options as low as $10. 

“This year is truly about accessibility,” MacMullen added. “It’s our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the community.”

The new Waco Hall venue offers unique spatial opportunities. The multi-level hall design will allow for creative staging and audience immersion, with musicians positioned in balconies, aisles and wings around the main stage. As a highly spatialized event, this approach gives the concert a vibrant, collage-like atmosphere.

A Baylor Christmas in 2024 is designed as more than a concert; it’s Baylor's heartfelt message to Waco—a musical tribute to peace, hope and unity in the holiday season.

Tickets for A Baylor Christmas go on sale Friday, November 1 at 10 a.m. Purchase online or through theWaco Hall Ticket Office.

Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Email: WHTickets@baylor.edu
Phone: 254.710.3210