Cumberland University announced today that it received a generous gift from the proceeds of this year’s Bert Coble Singers Christmas Dinner Shows.

The annual Christmas Dinner Shows benefit Wilson County charities and institutions, including Empower Me Center, Wilson County Community Help Center and Cumberland University. Patrons of the annual Christmas Dinner shows dedicate the proceeds of their tickets to the organization of their choice. Cumberland University was allocated more than $6,500 from the 2018 shows.

This gift helps to provide funds for both the H. Bert Coble Endowed Scholarship, which supports music students at Cumberland, and the Dr. H. Bert Coble Memorial Instrument Maintenance Endowment Fund.

Dr. Coble was a long-time faculty member at Cumberland who began the tradition of the Bert Coble Singers and their annual Christmas show. Because of his significant contributions to the Cumberland music program, and the countless lives of students he influenced during his career, the pipe organ, donated by Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, is named in his memory as The Dr. H. Bert Coble Memorial Pipe Organ.

The Bert Coble Singers formed after Dr. Coble retired from Cumberland University, over 30 years ago. Jennifer Perry, the current Choir Director, began her tenure as Director in 2012, and has continued the spirit of giving back. Her work reflects a tradition of giving by Dr. and Mrs. Coble, longtime benefactors of Cumberland.

Choir Director Jennifer Perry is honored to carry on Dr. Coble’s tradition.
“Dr. Coble was a Servant Leader,” said Perry. “He spent his life making the world a better place by serving our country, by enriching the lives of students, and by teaching us to worship and love music. He would be thrilled that the Christmas Dinner shows are continuing on in his honor and to know that there is now this wonderful instrument at Cumberland in his legacy.”

For more information on the Bert Coble Singers, visit https://bertcoblesingers.com.