The Fredonia School of Music will present its 20th annual production of “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. in the First United Methodist Church in Fredonia. The concert is free and open to the public.
“A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” will feature the Fredonia Women’s Choir under the direction of Assistant Professor Gwen Coleman Detwiler. Organist Sean Duggan, trumpet player John Roderick MacDonald, and bell-choir conductor Steven Mayo, all members of the Fredonia School of Music faculty, as well as pianist James Welch are also slated to perform.
“A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” was first celebrated on Christmas Eve in 1918 at King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England in honor of local citizens who had served in World War I. Radio broadcasts of the service began in 1928 and the special holiday concert has since been heard by millions of listeners around the globe.
The program for “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” consists of a series of readings, hymns and musical solos. Audience members will be invited to participate in the singing of such traditional Christmas favorites as “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and “Joy To The World” during the course of the performance.
In addition, scheduled readers for will consist of a number of well-known members of the campus and local communities. These readers will include Dr. Karl Boelter,director of the SUNY Fredonia School of Music; Dr. Steven Mayo of the SUNY Fredonia School of Music; Fr. Sean Duggan of the SUNY Fredonia School of Music; Professor Gwen Detwiler; Mr. Frank Pagano, Mayor of Fredonia; and Dr. Dennis Hefner, President of SUNY Fredonia.
Audience members are asked to arrive early for the best seating options. For more information, please contact the SUNY Fredonia School of Music at 716-673-3151.
