Christmas at Luther (nicknamed C@L) is an annual concert featuring performances from all of the choral ensembles, Symphony Orchestra, and a brass ensemble. C@L is a well-known Luther event, winning awards like the 2009 Upper Midwest Regional Emmy for Best Coverage of a Special Event. While thrilling, the timing of C@L places a heavy load onto music students, as they have to juggle schoolwork, extracurriculars and final exams on top of rehearsals.
Jacob Aji (‘28), a member of Nordic Choir, lamented that the timing of rehearsals interfered with daily schedules and sleep.
“In general, it’s exciting to anticipate a big, fun show, but it’s frustrating due to when it falls in the semester,” said Aji. “It’s a lot.”
Martine Redshaw (‘28), a member of Symphony Orchestra, elaborated on the conflict between schoolwork and preparing for C@L. “As a whole, C@L is something I look forward to and feel lucky to be a part of,” Redshaw said. “It is the most stressful when professors aren’t aware of the extra time that it takes up in the week. In general, Luther is very conscious of it, but when [professors] aren’t, it can be very difficult.”
Samantha Brown (‘28), a member of Cathedral Choir, delves more into the pressure of performing for prospective students. “Not even including the prep for C@L, the actual performances take up so much energy because each night could be someone’s first impression of music at Luther,” Brown said. However, she also has a fondness for the C@L experience. “Not only do I form stronger connections with my choir and others, [but] I [also] know each night I can look back and say I put my all towards each performance.”
Maria Hendrickson (‘26), Ashlynn Thorsen (‘26) and Julia Myers (‘26), three senior social work students, noticed the toll C@L preparation was taking on performing students. When they were assigned a change project for Social Work 401: Practice III class, they chose to expand on the C@L Care, a mental health initiative proposed by Myers during the 2025 spring semester.
“Julia worked on another group project last spring that laid the foundation for C@L Care,” said Thorsen. “The goal of this project is to change something at Luther. We are all involved in C@L through choir and wanted to support students’ well-being during the C@L rehearsals and performances.”
Hendrickson, who has been a part of Collegiate Chorale for three years, has been aware of the unique challenge posed by C@L for music students for a long time.
“When I was in elementary/middle school and knew some students in C@L, I heard about the double shows they used to do and [I] got really concerned for the health of the students,” said Hendrickson. “We don’t do double shows anymore, but students still struggle with the pacing of performance week. Balancing music memorization and finishing out the semester well is a really tough challenge.”
Thorsen, who is also a member of Collegiate Chorale, explained what makes C@L especially stressful for participants.
“C@L can be stressful because it is so close to the end of the semester and finals,” said Thorsen. “Rehearsals and performances take up a lot of time. On top of this, [students] are still expected to do everything we normally do.”
“[There are] many hours in preparation both in and out of designated rehearsals in the weeks leading up to C@L and during performance week,” Hendrickson added. “I essentially surrender myself to C@L when we get to the final week.”
For their social work class and the well-being of C@L participants, Hendrickson, Thorsen and Myers developed a plan to provide ongoing support throughout the duration of C@L.
“We wanted to help others out with offerings for things that aren’t adding to their plates, but are options if people need a little boost throughout the week,” said Hendrickson. “We’ve had some choirs who needed to prioritize rehearsal over us sharing information in person, so we sent our info via email. Funding was an interesting thing to navigate, but we partnered with Luther Wellness, and that was a perfect partnership; they were extremely helpful and willing to contribute materials.”
This email, which covered the services and events provided by “C@L Care,” was sent out to choir officers and student leaders on Tuesday, November 18. This was just one way Hendrickson, Thorsen and Myers reached out to students involved in C@L.
With this program, C@L participants have a plethora of resources provided for them, including movement sessions, coloring pages, time management sheets, ‘take what you need’ baskets and an emotion board. According to Thorsen, “wellness bought items for our ‘take what you need’ baskets. These items include tea, EmergenC, protein bars, Band-Aids, hair ties and more.”
Services like these can alleviate stress brought on by an already stressful time of year. No matter the scope, any and all resources can play a large hand in aiding students and alleviating at least some of the pressure. Even small snacks and short wellness sessions can help students feel like they are supported throughout the hustle and bustle of C@L.
There are ways students can care for their mental and physical health beyond C@L Care. Luther Wellness, music directors and professors are also available as resources for students who need extra time or care in managing stress during C@L.
“[Directors] do everything they can to prepare us well ahead of time and provide resources to help alleviate the memorization stress,” said Hendrickson. “Dr. Tam will check in with Collegiate throughout rehearsals about how we’re feeling, and she sends out practice tracks and recordings we can listen to.”
On an individual level, students can practice time management in their classes and extracurricular activities. C@L participants can also lessen stress by practicing mindfulness techniques and block out time for self-care.
“I try to get anything done that I can ahead of the week of C@L to reduce stress,” said Thorsen. “It is helpful to talk with friends, practice deep breathing, move and appreciate the beautiful things around me.”
Despite the busyness of C@L, the concert is a staple of Luther College and its celebration of the holiday season. Beyond that, C@L is an excellent opportunity for music students to bond with others and feel accomplished from their performances.
“My favorite part of C@L is the strong sense of community between all those involved in C@L when we perform,” said Thorsen. “The energy in the room is electric, and you can tell that everyone is putting their all into the performances.” Thorsen added, “My love for C@L and performing with everyone helps me work through the stress. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of a performance of this scale.”
“My favorite part [of C@L] is definitely the candle lighter,” said Hendrickson. “That moment, every show, feels like maybe magic does exist. It’s euphoric. The opener is fun because you get to see the change in the audience’s demeanor as they realize what they’re about to experience, and the closer is always so intense because everyone is giving it their all.”
Hendrickson and Thorsen hope that C@L Care will continue to provide a lifeline for students in future years, helping students stay afloat when a proliferation of events threatens to drown them in stress.