The talents of more than 300 students will be on display Dec. 6-8, during the 72nd annual Christmas with Wartburg.

Tickets sales begin Monday, Oct. 28, for shows Saturday, Dec. 7, at 3 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m., in Wartburg College’s Neumann Auditorium, as well as a performance Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m., at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines.

This year’s production, “Behold the Mystery,” was designed and will be directed by Lee Nelson, Wartburg’s Patricia R. Zahn Chair in Choral Conducting.

Eight Wartburg musical groups will perform: the Wartburg Choir, Wind Ensemble, Castle Singers, Ritterchor men’s choir, the all-female St. Elizabeth Chorale, Kantorei (a liturgical choir), the Handbell Choir and Kammerstreicher (a string orchestra).

Nelson will direct the Wartburg Choir and Ritterchor. Craig Hancock, professor of music and director of bands, will direct the Wind Ensemble. Nicki Toliver, associate director of choral activities, will conduct the Castle Singers and St. Elizabeth Chorale. Karen Black, cantor and college organist, will play the organ and lead Kantorei. Samuel Stapleton, visiting assistant professor of music, will direct Kammerstreicher.

Illuminating the concert will be a new mural designed by Chris Knudson, a 2001 Wartburg graduate and the college’s director of marketing and communication.

This year’s production is made possible, in part, through the support of Sukup Manufacturing.

Tickets are $21 for all Waverly performances and $23 for the West Des Moines performance. A buffet reception will be offered in Waverly on Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. for an additional cost. Concert and reception tickets can be purchased online at www.wartburg.edu/christmas, from 10 a.m. to noon weekdays at the ticket office in Saemann Student Center or by calling 319-352-8691 during ticket office hours.