St. Mary’s will observe the season of Advent with several special music services. On Sunday, December 2, the SWEA Choir (Swedish Women’s Choir), directed by Eva DiLascio, will sing traditional Swedish carols for the First Sunday of Advent at the 10 a.m. service. The SWEA Choir will be joined by members of the St. Mary’s Choir in a joint anthem, “Dotter Sion,” sung in Swedish to a tune by G.F. Handel.
On Sunday, December 9, the Adult and Junior Choirs will lead a Service of Advent Lessons and Carols at 10 a.m. The scripture readings for the service are a series of Old and New Testament lessons which outline the story of salvation, beginning with the Creation in Genesis, moving to the prophets’ foretelling of the Messiah, and culminating in the Annunciation and Birth of the Savior. Interspersed with the readings are hymns and carols which illuminate the scripture texts. Guest musicians Deborah Fabisiewicz, harp and Andrea Bonsignore, oboe, will accompany the choirs for this service.
As we move closer to Christmas, on the Third and Fourth Sundays of Advent, we will hear musical selections from the “Christmas Oratorio” by J.S. Bach, and Vivaldi’s “Gloria,” sung by section leaders in the choir.
On Christmas Eve, the Junior Choir and young people from the congregation will present a Christmas pageant, “People, Look East,” during the 5 p.m. service. Lessons read by the youth will be interspersed with Christmas carols sung by the congregation and Junior Choir. If you would like to participate in the pageant, please speak to Lucille Rossignol or Kirsten Johnson.
The 11 p.m. Christmas Eve service will begin with a musical prelude at 10:45 p.m. The Adult Choir, accompanied by a brass quartet, will sing the Christmas Cantata by Daniel Pinkham, a well-known Boston composer who died a year ago, in December 2006. Please plan to join us for these festive services for Advent and Christmas.
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