Holiday favorites to fill Daines Concert Hall this week
Christmas from the Newel and Jean Daines Concert Hall will return to Utah State University this week with the American Festival Chorus and Orchestra, or AFCO, featuring guest artists David Osmond, Savannah Stevenson and the Westminster Bell Choir in a series of performances from Dec. 11-13. Evening concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $10-35, and the show is recommended for ages 8 and older.
Led by Craig Jessop, AFCO’s annual Christmas production has become one of Cache Valley’s most popular seasonal traditions.
“The concert aims to balance sacred and secular favorites while keeping the program fresh through new guest artists and additions to the repertoire,” Jessop said.
The event is a community celebration that draws singers and audiences from around Cache Valley and the surrounding areas. He credited accessible ticket prices and a welcoming atmosphere for helping the concert remain a holiday staple.
“This will be our 17th annual Christmas concert,” Jessop said
This year’s featured performers add new energy to the long-running tradition. Osmond, a singer and performer from the well-known Osmond family, will appear alongside Stevenson, a stage and screen performer recognized for her work in major productions, including time in the West End. The two will join AFCO for well-loved holiday selections and guest-feature numbers throughout the program.
The bell choir will again play a prominent role in the concert, blending bright handbell textures with the chorus and orchestra. Mary Beck, director of the choir, said the group will perform both with the full ensemble on several numbers and also present a solo piece during the program.
For audiences new to handbells, Beck described the choir as a collaborative instrument made up of many players, each responsible for specific notes.
“When we all play together, it’s as though we are a single beautiful instrument,” Beck said, explaining handbell music is specially arranged to fit the ensemble’s unique sound.
The choir is an ecumenical group sponsored by First Presbyterian Church of Logan and has been part of Cache Valley’s music scene since the late 1990s. The ensemble now rings five octaves of bells with 13 ringers and performs regularly in church services and community events.
Beck said she is especially excited for audiences to hear “Ring Those Christmas Bells,” arranged by Ryan Murphy, which the group will perform with AFCO. She also highlighted the choir’s standalone number, an arrangement of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” by Michael Helman.
Jessop said he has long loved the festive sound and visual energy of handbells, noting he first encountered the tradition while living in England and has incorporated bells into holiday performances throughout his career. He said the collaboration with Westminster adds both musical color and a sense of shared community celebration.
Beyond this weekend’s concerts, Beck hopes the performance will introduce more people to handbells as an accessible way to make music together. The choir welcomes new ringers who can read music and commit to rehearsals, even if they have no previous handbell experience. Beck said the group expects to lose some members in January and is eager to welcome new participants.
With classic carols, popular holiday favorites and the shimmer of handbells filling the hall, AFCO’s Christmas from the Daines Concert Hall aims to offer audiences a warm, family-friendly start to the season — one that continues to grow while honoring the traditions that have made it a December mainstay in Cache Valley.