For many people over the years, the celebration of the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany season has begun with the annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival, a cherished tradition of the college for nearly a century. The first festival in 1912 was a worship service in song for the college community, planned and directed by F. Melius Christiansen, founder of the St. Olaf music department. The festival continues as an outgrowth of Christian conviction and an expression of the rich musical heritage at St. Olaf, a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Chapel Choir, Manitou Singers, St. Olaf Cantorei, St. Olaf Choir, St. Olaf Orchestra, and Viking Chorus perform both as individual groups and as a massed ensemble in the 99th annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival.