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The following was submitted by the First Congregational Church:
On Sunday, Dec. 15 at 10 a.m., the First Congregational Church, 21 Church St., will hold its annual Festival of Lessons and Carols, a beloved tradition from England wherein God’s word is proclaimed and contemplated in a special sequence of readings, prayers, choral anthems and congregational carols and hymns.
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is most affectionately connected to King’s College in Cambridge, England, where it has graced the Chapel on Christmas Eve since 1918. The service has been broadcast annually, even during the Second World War, when the ancient glass (and also all heat) had been removed from the Chapel.
It is estimated that today there are millions of listeners worldwide. The service has since been adapted and used by churches and schools all over the world.
In the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, we weave together scripture, poetry and song, calling on readers and musicians from all ages and stages, and trace a spiritual progression that carries us from prophecy to fulfillment, from Old Testament foretelling to New Testament celebration of the birth of Christ.
This year, the Lessons and Carols service highlights the music and poetic writings of Hildegard von Bingen, also known as the Sibyl of the Rhine, a German Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and as a medical writer and practitioner during the High Middle Ages. Hildegard’s Chants for the Blessed Virgin Mary beautifully reflect Mary’s journey to becoming the mother of Christ.
To guide us in this mysterious and stunning music is Justina Golden, a chant specialist, performer, teacher, and philosopher in her own right.
The choir will offer two large contemporary anthems, based on Hildegard’s chant tunes and texts. The Lessons (readings) will include both scripture and writing excerpts from Hildegard herself.
In this sacred and mysterious context, attendees will joyfully celebrate the season of Advent.
