“The Saint John’s Bible” will take center stage at “Wondrous Love, Illumine Our Hearts,” the 67^th annual Christmas with Wartburg concerts Dec. 5-7.

Ticket sales begin Monday, Nov. 3 for shows Saturday, Dec. 6, at 3 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 7, at 3 p.m., in Wartburg College’s Neumann Auditorium as well as Friday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m., at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines.

 “The Saint John’s Bible” is the first handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine abbey in more than 500 years. Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, commissioned calligrapher Donald Jackson to undertake the work. With help from many others, he produced seven volumes — each 2 feet tall by 3 feet wide when open — with more than 160 illuminations and numerous special text treatments.

All seven volumes of the “The Saint John’s Bible” Heritage Edition (a fine art reproduction of the original) were on display in the Waldemar A. Schmidt Art Gallery on the Wartburg College campus earlier this year. Two volumes — the Pentateuch and Gospels and Acts — are on campus through the end of the calendar year and will be used in the concerts.

“The theme itself came from the simple wonder and awe I saw as people would go through the gallery and look at the books and turn the pages of ‘The Saint John’s Bible,’” said Lee Nelson, Christmas with Wartburg artistic director.

Seven Wartburg musical groups will perform: the Wartburg Choir, Wind Ensemble, Castle Singers, Ritterchor men’s choir, the all-female St. Elizabeth Chorale, Kantorei and the Handbell Choir.

The concert will feature newly commissioned works, including “O Nata Lux” and “Love Came Down at Christmas” by renowned composer René Clausen and a new setting of the hymn “Love Divine, all Loves Excelling” by Joshua Evanovich, a 2007 graduate.

“The concert will take the audience on a musical journey of traditional Christmas music intermixed with new compositions that explore themes of wonder, love and illumination found in the Christmas story,” Nelson said.

Nelson will direct the Wartburg Choir and Ritterchor. Craig Hancock, professor of music, will direct the Wind Ensemble. Nicki Toliver, assistant professor of music, will conduct the Castle Singers and Kantorei. Karen Black, professor of music, will direct the St. Elizabeth Chorale. Aaron Hansen, lecturer in music, will direct the Handbell Choir.

In addition to the music, a large mural and lighting production will accompany the performance.

“This year’s mural will look quite different as it is inspired by the artwork of ‘The Saint John’s Bible,’” said Chris Knudson, director of creative strategy at Wartburg College and mural designer. “It’s going to be very warm and inviting, and hopefully it will convey the idea of love.”

Prior to the concerts, viewers can watch a new Wartburg College web series, “Behind the Curtain,” which offers a sneak peak at this year’s concert. These webisodes are produced by Reel Orange Productions students and hosted by Jay Boeding, a 1999 Wartburg graduate and major gift officer for the college.

“This series gives viewers a chance to experience the concert in a way that most people aren’t able to by giving them insight into what goes in to the making of Christmas with Wartburg,” said Simon Sager, digital media producer for Wartburg.

The webisodes are available on the Wartburg College YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/wartburgweb.

Tickets are $16.50 for all Waverly performances and $18.50 for the Des Moines performance. Meals will be offered in Waverly Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m. for an additional cost. Registration is required for the dinner. Tickets can be purchased online at www.wartburg.edu/christmas, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays at the ticket office in Saemann Student Center or by calling 319-352-8691.