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The following was submitted by First Congregational Church in Winchester, UCC:
On Sunday, Dec. 14, join First Congregational Church in Winchester, UCC, 21 Church St., for the annual Festival of Lessons and Carols, a beloved Advent tradition from England wherein God’s word is proclaimed and contemplated in word and song: a special sequence of readings, prayers, choral anthems, and congregational carols, beginning at 10 a.m.
This year, the church presents Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols” with Sorana Scarlat, a harpist. Britten’s iconic and celebratory Ceremony of Carols is beloved for its exquisite beauty, intelligence and pure sentiment.
“A Ceremony of Carols” consists of eight polyphonic settings; these eight carols are bookended by statements of the Gregorian chant “Hodie Christus Natus Est” ("Christ is born today"), and midway through the set is an astounding interlude for harp solo that features this same plainchant tune.
The carols themselves show a remarkable diversity of styles, from the jubilant exultations of “Wolcum Yole” and “Deo Gracias,” to the pastoral and lyrical “There is no rose” and “Balulalow,” to the martial urgency of “This Little Babe” and its ever-expanding canon. The piece is one haunting, vibrant, gorgeous, lovely, and meditative whole, marked by concision of composition and a rich, sophisticated harmonic palate.
The service will be held in the sanctuary and will also be livestreamed.
