2024 Christmas Concert - Live Stream

We will be livestreaming these concerts.  Click the link below if you are not able to join us in person.

• • December 13^th, 7pm concert, with preconcert streaming starting at 6:30pm CST
  • December 14^th, 2pm concert, with preconcert streaming starting at 1:30pm CST
  • December 14^th, 7pm concert, with preconcert streaming starting at 6:30pm CST

 

Songs and Past Concert Videos

• • • • 2023 COLO Christmas Concert
      • O Come All Ye Faithful
      • On This Still and Silent Night
      • O Holy Night
      • Bethlehem Sarajevo
      • Dreams of Christmas Night

 

History of Crown of Life Orchestra (COLO)

Past, Present & Future

 

You can say that in some way the genesis of the Crown of Life Orchestra was in the mid 80’s as part of a college band.  While that band was playing the music of Journey, Foreigner, Bryan Adams and …, it was suggested that it would be cool to “amp up” Christmas songs with electric guitars and drums.  While that group never accomplished that goal, several other groups like Mannheim Steamroller and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) came to national recognition with upbeat and power versions of classical Christmas songs.

Fast forward 20 years and Crown of Life Lutheran Church and School started a tradition of presenting a Living Nativity.  In-between reenactments of the Nativity, different groups of musicians performed Christmas songs.

In November 2007 it was proposed that we assemble a group of musicians to perform a couple of TSO songs for the upcoming Living Nativity.  It was decided that there was not enough time that year.  So, in 2008 the group was formed and played three songs during breaks in the Living Nativity.

The music was well received, so in 2009 we expanded our playlist to eleven TSO songs.  The Crown of Life Orchestra, or as it is more commonly known, COLO, was officially formed.  We continued to add songs, and rather than playing songs during breaks in the Living Nativity a concert was added after the final Nativity reenactment.

In 2010 we wrote our first original, “What Child Is This / O Come O Come Emmanuel”.  During the 2010 and 2011 Christmas seasons we worked with a local radio station to play our song, and promote the Living Nativity and concerts.

Two more originals were written in 2012, “Alleluia” and “On This Still and Silent Night”. COLO also headed into a recording studio to record our three original songs.  The Living Nativity concerts continued to grow.

The group continued to grow and expand the music with songs from Mannheim Steamroller and Josh Grobin to mention just two. We also continued to add our twist to established songs by TSO (Dreams of Christmas Night and Bethlehem Sarajevo).

With new members comes not only new talent and instruments, but new ideas. We started playing summer concerts with a different list of songs, but we do throw in a few of the Christmas classics that we loved to play and concert goers love to hear. Afterall, Christmas in July is a time-honored tradition.

We are celebrating our 16th year of Christmas concerts, and we hope that you can join us in person or via live streams.

Hoping all of you a most joyous and blessed Christmas, and the Happiest of New Years.