Vision and Inspiration

By Brice Marsh
Founder and Producer
Festival of Sacred Christmas Music
Committee to Keep Christmas Alive

“The festival is much more than a concert ... it is a concept!”

The Inspiration for the Annual Festival of Sacred Christmas Music

The original inspiration for the first Festival of Sacred Christmas Music (2005) was to "capture and import the Spirit of Christmas" that Dr. Pat Odom and I experienced when we and our wives attended a number of Christmas programs in Branson, Missouri in December of 2004. Even though those programs were staged in a secular venue, we felt God's presence and could see evidence of God's handiwork in almost all of the eight different programs we attended while we were there. Even the restaurants and the hotel where we stayed all boldly proclaimed "Merry Christmas," "Jesus is the Reason for the Season", "God bless America", "Keep Christ in Christmas", and other proclamations of Christian empowerment at Christmastime.

You might be thinking they were simply pandering and patronizing to a sympathetic crowd of Christians. Maybe so … but here's my response to that line of thinking: Even if every instance of Christmas spirit was born of a selfish motive to exploit the sensibilities of Christians for business purposes, why did the businesses in Branson feel it was politically correct and safe to do so when many businesses in Huntsville and North Alabama apparently are still afraid to mention the name of Christ? Whatever their motive, I choose to believe that God had intervened in a majestic way to cause the businesses in Branson to realize it would be "good" to glorify God and to exalt the name of Christ at Christmas. Good for them! Praise Him!

The Vision for the Festival of Sacred Christmas Music

As we drove back from Branson, we prayed and brainstormed for a vision for a way to rekindle the vibrant community Christmas spirit that seems to have flickered and faded in recent years in some ways in Huntsville.

It was our vision and our hearts’ desire that we could bring some of the passion and the Christmas spirit we felt in Branson into the atmosphere in Huntsville and North Alabama … to “Keep Christmas Alive!” and to keep Christ in Christmas!

Without a doubt, we received answers to our prayers, we’ve seen numerous instances of providential intervention, and the Keep Christmas Alive (KCA) committee was formed. Now, with the cooperation and support of a number of dedicated and committed individuals, we are about to experience the THIRD Annual Festival of Sacred Christmas Music. Isn’t that great?

Simply put, we are "Reclaiming Christmas, Proclaiming the birth of Christ, and Proving that old-fashioned traditional sacred Christmas music can be joyful, festive and fun … for the entire family!"

Furthermore, we somewhat jokingly say we have a restraining order for Frosty, the Snowman and Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer; this is not their kind of show. Santa Claus is welcome, although we're not expecting him, provided he comes prepared to join in the birthday celebration. In other words, no secular music. Nothing but sacred Christmas music, period.

However, this festival is intended to be unpretentious and simple ... like "Jesus Loves Me" and "Silent Night" simple. No laser lights. No fireworks. No Spectacular special effects. But we DO have world class musical talent that will hold your attention and bless you thoroughly. For instance, the Voices of Lee University will be returning for the third year in a row. They received standing ovations at the 2005 and 2006 festivals with the audiences shouting "More, More!" The Ball Brothers, who are seen with Bill Gaither and on the INSP TV Network, will be returning this year by popular demand. They will absolutely mesmerize you with their close harmony and their arrangements of the Christmas message in song. Bob Smith, our perennial favorite vocalist, will return as host and master of ceremonies. Also, appearing for the first time this year will be “This Hope”, The Regents Quartet, Millie Bonham, and some other local talent.

This festival is much more than a concert ... it is a concept! We challenge people to leave the festival with a renewed determination to reclaim Christmas. Here’s the concept simply stated: Christmas is a very special holiday when Christians have chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ. However, for years we have stood by quietly as Christmas has been commercialized and has become the single largest source of profitable revenue for most retail businesses. In fact, according to one estimate, if Christmas was eliminated altogether, approximately 50% of the retail stores would be forced to go out of business. Yet, these very establishments increasingly are refusing to display any materials containing the name of Christ (or “Christmas”) in their stores for fear they may offend someone. What sheer hypocrisy!

Yet, by our silence we have given our consent to their action. Many of us have become intimidated. We are even afraid to say “Merry Christmas” right here in America! It’s time for us to take a stand and reclaim Christmas! We can no longer allow the liberal and evil influences of the world to rob us of the joy of Christmas!

Here’s one way to reclaim Christmas: It's free, it's safe, and it will be rewarding and stimulating. I challenge each person who attends the festival to be the first to say "Merry Christmas!" to ten people on each of the 25 days between November 30 and December 25. If 2500 people will follow this simple guideline, then 2500 x 10 x 25 = 625,000 people will hear "Merry Christmas!" that might not have heard it otherwise; and a number of them will be encouraged to repeat it to still other people. The checkout clerks at many retail stores have been instructed to refrain from saying “Merry Christmas” unless “the customer says it first”. Well, if you are the customer, be the first to say “Merry Christmas”, and start saying it every time you encounter a checkout clerk or other people while shopping.

Here's another challenge for all of us: Many of our churches have Christmas concerts and cantatas and then we leave the church feeling all warm and bubbly … from inside the safe sanctuary with our friends and buddies .... but all too often we become deaf mutes the next day at work and at the mall or at the grocery store. In other words, by our silence, we have allowed the secular world to dictate our practices and to intimidate us concerning how we express our Christmas greetings. Please be empowered and emboldened to speak up whenever, wherever you hear anyone say "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings". You should let them know that as Christians, we consider those words to be offensive. Please remind them that we prefer they show the proper respect for the One for whom the official national holiday is named and to refer to it as "Merry Christmas" please!

We have been silent too long. Maybe if enough people hear us, we can empower even more people to have the courage to speak up.

We are particularly grateful for the Christian men and women and businesspeople in the greater Huntsville area who are supporting the Festival of Sacred Christmas Music with their time, their ads, and their sponsorship. This is a reassurance that they have simply been looking for a way to stand and be counted in the marketplace at Christmastime. God’s people should no longer be ignored nor taken for granted. Christians should expect to be treated with respect and courtesy; and we should direct our business toward retail establishments that demonstrate a genuine interest in our business. Please support the businesses that have purchased ads in our program book for the festival, or whose sponsorship is reflected on the KCA web page.

Finally, we hope the spirit of this festival will spill over the walls of the VBC and infect our community; and we hope to share this concept with other parts of the country. Please encourage others to “copy” our idea and start similar programs in their communities.

Keep Christmas Alive!
Brice Marsh
Executive Producer
Third Annual Festival of Sacred Christmas Music
www.KeepChristmasAlive.org