Amidst the twinkling Christmas trees and red poinsettias, Riverton City’s annual Christmas Night of Music on Monday, Dec. 8, will offer festive music to invite the holiday spirit. The free concert will be held at 7 p.m. at Riverton High School (12476 S. Silverwolf Way).

Choir director Kim Rimmasch has led the Christmas concert since its origins at a local church in 2004. As the event’s popularity grew, Rimmasch partnered with Riverton City to provide a magical night of Christmas music for anyone who would like to attend or participate.

“All of the songs are special arrangements, professional arrangements,” he said. “We have a harp player and full percussion instruments. Just the percussion instruments would be over $45,000 to buy, but we rent them from the Murray Symphony, which has supported us all these years.”

This year’s special musical guest is Gabriel Trumpets, an ensemble that has performed in a variety of venues and with multiple groups, including The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. They will join the 160-member community choir and orchestra to perform inspired versions of holiday favorites. 

“There’s no doubt that you can feel the energy in the room,” Rimmasch said. “You can feel the season, you can feel people’s emotions and the Christmas spirit. When people are participating and listening, I think music talks to us. It opens up our brains and our minds and it helps us.”

Rimmasch credits Riverton City’s Arts Administrator Vicki Wartman and Events Director Sheril Garn for making the Riverton High School auditorium shine for the concert, ushering in the holidays with just the right amount of Christmas magic. The event is scheduled to last less than 90 minutes, with the choir and orchestra performing 16 Christmas songs.

With more than 1,200 people attending the Christmas Night of Music each year, he suggests people get there early (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) to beat the crowd and get a good parking spot.  Rimmasch is often told by attendees that the concert starts the season off right and gets people thinking about family, friends and the meaning of the holiday.

“Gabriel is arranging special music, and they’ll be participating in many of the pieces. We’ll be doing some congregational music where guests can sing along with the orchestra,” he said. “We’ll be doing Mack Wilberg’s ‘Masters in this Hall’ and with ‘Joy to the World,’ there’s a special arrangement that Gabriel will be doing that I really like. I must say, this concert has become a Riverton tradition.”

Riverton City’s Christmas Night of Music will be held on Monday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. at Riverton High School (12476 S. Silverwolf Way). The concert is free and open to all ages. (Photo courtesy of Riverton City)