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From staff reports

Christmas came a little early at Asbury University last Friday when the university hosted Sacred Harmony for a special Christmas concert in Hughes Auditorium.
The show was part of what has become a recent tradition at Asbury. For several years, the University has hosted critically acclaimed artists as a Christmas gift to the community.
Sacred Harmony, a trio hailing from Tennessee, possesses a unique, genre-bending sound that includes elements of gospel, bluegrass and pop. Group members include Janet Weaver, Brian Scott and Theresa Bellamy. Sacred Harmony has released three albums, the most recent of which is the 2017 LP “Believe.”
A bevy of local community members, alumni, students and friends of the University visited campus for the Friday evening concert.
“It’s great to see old friends and new friends,” Dr. Mark Troyer, vice president for Institutional Advancement and Strategic Partnerships, said. “People who have traveled 100 yards and people who have traveled from out of state are here tonight.”
Troyer opened the event with a word of prayer before Asbury President Kevin J. Brown gave a brief introduction to the band.
“This is a gift not just to the Asbury community but to the Wilmore community in general,” Dr. Brown said. “In the decades and decades of this school’s existence, one of the things that’s unchanging is tradition – the traditions that are specific to the Wilmore community, the traditions that are specific to the Asbury community and the Christian traditions that we celebrate. The hymns and the songs that we sing remind us that Jesus is light, and Jesus is Lord and Jesus is come. This is good news.”
The show began with a stunning cover of the Gaither Vocal Band’s “It’s Still the Greatest Story Ever Told.” Throughout the night, the group sang gospel and bluegrass Christmas tunes such as “Tennessee Christmas,” “Go Tell” and “Mary, Did you Know?”
Audience members joined Sacred Harmony onstage to sing “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” during what was perhaps the crowd’s favorite part of the evening. Laughter and smiles abounded throughout the room during this hilarious and sweet rendition of the Christmas classic.
The group also sang original songs throughout the show, including its latest hit “Let Your Light Shine.”
“We are happy to be here among you all,” said Sacred Harmony member Scott. “We have had a great day on [Asbury’s] campus. The hospitality has been fantastic, the spirit has been great, and the smiles have been plentiful. We’ve had a fantastic day and we’re glad to spend our evening with you.”
In addition to Asbury’s Christmas gift to the community, students and community members enjoyed a number of Christmas traditions on campus and in Wilmore such as Christmas Music Chapel, Songs of the Season, Asbury’s International Christmas Market and Old-Fashioned Christmas.