A Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, Sunday, January 4, at 4 p.m. Our Lady of the Lake Verona, N.J.

Описание: The tradition of Lessons and Carols began in 1880 when Edward White Benson, the first Bishop of Truro, created a service to be held in a temporary wooden structure while Truro Cathedral was being built. This service included nine lessons (scripture readings) interspersed with choir anthems and hymns, aimed at providing a meaningful Christmas experience while discouraging excessive revelry. King’s College, Cambridge later adapted the service of lesson and carols and that is where it gained worldwide recognition, and is annually broadcast on Christmas eve. Churches around the world now celebrate this form of worship during Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons.
Our service of Lessons and Carols features readings appointed for the Feast of the Epiphany, while the music draws from both the Christmas and Epiphany seasons. Once in Royal David’s City opens the service in the time-honored tradition. A solo soprano sings the first verse unaccompanied, followed by the choir singing the second verse a cappella in harmony. The third verse brings together choir and congregation, and the hymn concludes with the famous and exhilarating descant by David Willcocks. Herbert Howells’s Magnificat is most often associated with Choral Evensong, yet its text, the Song of Mary, makes it especially fitting for Advent and Christmastide. Collegium Regale is a collection of choral settings by Herbert Howells of the canticles for the Anglican services of Mattins, Holy Communion, and Evening Prayer. Scored for four-part choir, solo tenor, and organ, these works were composed between 1944 and 1956 for King’s College, Cambridge, hence the Latin title Collegium Regale. First published by Novello in 1947, the settings have since become among the most beloved and enduring works in the Anglican choral repertoire. A Spotless Rose comes from Howells’s Three Carol Anthems, composed between 1918 and 1920. The most celebrated of the set, this setting of an anonymous fifteenth-century poem meditates on the purity of Mary. While appearing disarmingly simple on the surface, the music reveals a subtle harmonic richness and emotional depth that is quintessentially Howells. Go Tell It on the Mountain, arranged by Roland Carter, offers a joyful and energetic proclamation of the Christmas message. The arrangement divides into eight parts for much of the piece, creating a thrilling choral texture, and culminates in a particularly satisfying conclusion. Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, composed by Elizabeth Poston, is a beloved carol known for its serene and contemplative beauty. Based on the traditional tune Christ the Apple Tree, Poston’s setting has an almost angelic quality, inviting quiet reflection on Christ as source of life, nourishment, and healing. What Cheer? by William Walton (1960) represents the exuberant and rhythmically driven side of the composer’s musical personality. The text comes from an early sixteenth-century commonplace book, slightly adapted by Walton. With its jazz-inflected rhythms and dance-like vitality, the carol bursts with irrepressible energy and festive joy. We Three Kings, set by British composer Philip Stopford, is a vivid and dramatic musical portrayal of the journey of the Magi. The opening evokes the long and arduous camel ride beneath the guiding star, gradually building in intensity toward a triumphant and glorious finale as the kings arrive at Bethlehem.
Musicians:
Jeremiah Mead, Director of Music and Conductor
Michael C. Hey, Organist
Rev. Peter G. Wehrle, Pastor
Our Lady of the Lake parish choir: Samantha Lax, Tee Crincoli, Barbara Bachan, Luisa Torres
Carol Lombardi, Gabby Guida, Jessica Walch, Emilia Sadonis, Randel Ofalsa, Prentiss Mouton, Steven Zimmerman, Brian Wong Julio Santiago, Michael Alworth


00:00 Noel by Louis-Claude Daquin
06:00 Once in royal David’s city (Irby) arr. David Wilcocks, Tee Crincoli, soloist
11:10 First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9
13:10 Magnificat from Collegium Regale by Herbert Howells
19:17 Second Reading: Isaiah 49:1-7
21:00 A spotless rose by Herbert Howells Steven Zimmerman, Soloist
25:00 Third Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6
26:04 O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) arr. David Wilcocks/Christopher Robinson
31:01 Fourth Reading: Philippians 3:7-14
32:53 O Holy Night by Adolphe Adam arr. Rene Clausen
38:12 Fifth Reading: John 1:1-14
40:11 Go, Tell It on the Mountain arr. Roland Carter, Tee Crincoli, soloist
43:25 Sixth Reading: John 1:15-18
44:27 Jesus Christ the Apple Tree by Elizabeth Poston
48:00 Seventh Reading: Luke 2:21-38
50:50 What Star is This (Puer Nobis)
53:27 Eighth Reading: Mark 1:9-11
54:10 What Cheer? by William Walton
56:08 Ninth Reading: Mathew 2:1-12
58:25 We Three Kings by Philip Stopford
1:04:20 Hark the Herald Angels Sing (Mendelssohn) arr. David Wilcocks
1:07:23 Toccata on ‘ Vom Himmel Hoch’ by Garth Edmundson