 Fredonia Women’s Choir performing at 2008 Lessons and Carols (photo by Lori Deemer) |
Fredonia School of Music presents Annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Saturday, Dec. 12, 8 p.m.
First United Methodist Church, 25 Church Street, Fredonia, NY
FREE and open to all
The SUNY Fredonia School of Music is pleased to bring the annual Lessons and Carols performance to our community again this year on Saturday, December 12 at 8pm.
This community-wide holiday tradition symbolizes goodwill between the university and our community, and features the Fredonia Women’s Choir, James Welch on piano, and Father Sean Duggan playing organ with Gwen Coleman Detwiler conducting.
Featured vocal soloists include Charlea Lyn Grieco, Claudia Feeney, Mariah Marsh, Hillary Grobe, Carly Scranton, Nicole Spoltore, Carmen Argiros, Ashley Moran, Victoria Tomosulo, Kateri Gormley, Rachel Niegelberg, Mary Hangley, Althea Ganetis, Kayla Walruth, Kristyn Christman-McCarty, Allison Peden, and Paul Swensen.
Readers include Dennis Hefner, President, SUNY Fredonia; Rev. Matthew Stengel, Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church; Marissa Greenwald, Chorister, Women’s Choir; Jacob Lesch, son of John and Heather Lesch; Mrs. Kimberly Mancino, Faculty, SUNY Fredonia School of Music; Father Sean Duggan, Faculty, SUNY Fredonia School of Music; Dr. Gwen Coleman Detwiler, Conductor, Women’s Choir; Dr. Karl Boelter, Director, SUNY Fredonia School of Music; and Dr. Robert Heichberger, Professor Emeritus, SUNY Fredonia. The evening features music and readings, and the congregation will be invited to sing along at certain times during the program.
The Fredonia tradition of Lessons and Carols is taken from the original “Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” that has been sung on Christmas Eve at King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England since 1918. It began as an offering to the citizens of Cambridge, in honor of those who served in the Great War. The service began broadcast via radio in 1928 and, except for 1930, has been broadcast worldwide annually to an audience of millions. SUNY Fredonia presents this rendition of the Lessons and Carols as a gift to the community, and all are invited to join in the holiday celebration. In addition to the December 12 performance, the Women’s Choir will travel to Grand Island to perform at the United Methodist Church of Grand Island on Friday, December 11 at 8pm (free and open to all).
For a complete list of upcoming events, visit: www.fredonia.edu/music
