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A FESTIVAL OF NINE

LESSONS & CAROLS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18 , 2016

S T . PAUL ’ S E P I SCOPAL CHURCH

FA I RF I E LD , CONNECT ICUT

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W ELCOME TO THIS SERVICE, which anticipates the great feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The liturgy of Lessons and Carols was first used in the chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, on Christmas Eve, 1918, with the candle-lit

splendor of the chapel, the prayers and scripture readings, the great hymns and the soaring music of the choir and organ standing in eloquent contrast to the darkness of a cold winter night and the tragic shadows of the recently concluded Great War. The intervening years have seen the worldwide broadcast of this service become a much beloved Christmas tradition.

As in 1918, we in our own day turn again to these sacred words and songs in a world troubled by war, natural disaster, violence, and economic uncertainty. Tonight’s service is offered in the spirit of that first service at King’s, as a light shining in the darkness; with fervent prayer for peace, goodwill and understanding among all people rising amidst the strains of glorious hymns and car-ols. Although much of the music at this service is sung by the choir, the congregation plays a central role. Please listen intently, pray and sing with your heart, mind, and voice, as indicated below. Again, welcome!

Of course, a major part of this service involves the joining together of everyone in making a joy-ful noise to the Lord. Should your child be further inspired to the making of extended joyful noise while others are trying to listen, we do ask that you escort your little one to the gathering area or outside for a brief moment or two until he or she becomes more contemplative. And please do not be shy about doing this – many of the adults surrounding you are parents too, and are very glad that you and your child are here! You are among friends.

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ORDER OF SERVICE

ORGAN VOLUNTARY

Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

¶ The Congregation is requested to be silent during the organ voluntary. Please rise as the clergy and choir enter the church.

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HYMN [Verses 1 & 2 Choir only]

1 Once in royal David’s city 2 He came down to earth from heaven

stood a lowly cattle shed, who is God and Lord of all,

where a mother laid her baby and his shelter was a stable,

in a manger for his bed: and his cradle was a stall:

Mary was that mother mild, with the poor, the mean, and the lowly,

Jesus Christ her little child. lived on earth our Savior holy.

[Congregation in unison]

5 Not in that poor lowly stable,

with the oxen standing by,

we shall see him, but in heaven,

set at God’s right hand on high;

where like stars his children crowned

all in white shall wait around.

Words: Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895)

Music: Irby, melody and harm. Henry John Gauntlett (1805-1876);

revised by A. H Mann (1850-1929) and others; descant David Willcocks (1919-2015) 87. 87. 77

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THE BIDDING PRAYER ¶ Said by the Officiant

B ELOVED IN CHRIST, at this Christmas-tide let it be our care and delight to hear again the message of the angels, and in heart and mind to go unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, and the Babe lying in a manger.

Therefore let us read and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God from the first days of our disobedience through the glorious Redemption brought us by this holy Child; and let us make this church, dedicated to his great apostle Paul, glad with our carols of praise:

But first, let us pray for the needs of the whole world; for peace on earth and goodwill among all his people; for unity and understanding within the Church he came to build, and especially in our sister parish of San Lucas y San Pablo in Bridgeport; in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, and in the town and county of Fairfield.

And let us remember, in his name, those that he loves most fervently: the poor and the helpless, the cold, the hungry, and the oppressed; the sick and them that mourn, the lonely and the unloved, the aged and the little children; all those who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love him not, or who by sin have grieved his heart of love.

Lastly, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore, and in a greater light, that multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom in the Lord Jesus we are one for evermore.

These prayers and praises let us humbly offer to God, in the words which Christ has taught us:

¶ All, together

O UR FATHER, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come,

thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

¶ The Officiant continues

May Almighty God give us grace: May Christ give us the joys of everlasting life: and unto the fellow-ship of the citizens above may the King of Angels bring us all. Amen.

¶ The Congregation may be seated.

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CAROL Melody from Orchésographie, 1596, arr. Charles Wood (1866-1926)

D ING-DONG, MERRILY ON HIGH In heav’n the bells are ringing; Ding dong, verily the sky

Is riven with angel singing. Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis! E’en so here below, below Let steeple bells be swungen, And ‘Io, io, io!’ By priest and people sungen. Refrain Pray you, dutifully prime Your matin chime, ye ringers! May you beautifully rime Your evetime song, ye singers! Refrain

—George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848-1934)

THE FIRST LESSON Genesis 3:8-15 Reader: Claire D., A Chorister

God tells sinful Adam and Eve that they have lost the life of Paradise.

CAROL Boris Ord (1897-1961)

A DAM LAY YBOUNDEN, bounden in a bond, Four thousand winter thought he not too long, And all was for an apple, an apple that he took,

As clerkès finden, written in their book.

Ne had the apple taken been, the apple taken been,

Ne had never our Lady abeen heavené Queen. Blessed be the time that apple taken was, Therefore we moun singen, Deo gracias.

—Sloane MS (modernized), 15th c. English

THE SECOND LESSON Isaiah 9:2-7 Reader: Laura Mozier, A Member of the Choir

The Prophet Isaiah reveals God’s promise of a Messiah for a faithful people.

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CAROL English folk carol, collected by Cecil Sharp (1859-1924), arr. H. Walford Davies (1869-1941)

T HE HOLLY AND THE IVY, When they are both full grown, Of all the trees that are in the wood,

The holly bears the crown: O the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer, the playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom, as white as any flower, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ To be our sweet Savior: Refrain The holly bears a berry, as red as any blood, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good: Refrain The holly bears a prickle

as sharp as any thorn, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ On Christmas day in the morn: Refrain

The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ For to redeem us all. Refrain

—Traditional English, early 19th cent.

¶ All standing.

HYMN Verses 1-4 sung by the choir.

1 Of the Father’s heart begotten 2 By his word was all created,

Ere the world from chaos rose, He commanded and ‘twas done ;

He is Alpha : from that Fountain Earth and sky and boundless ocean,

All that is, that hath been flows ; Universe of three in one,

He is Omega, of all things All that sees the moon’s soft radiance,

Yet to come the mystic Close, All that breathes beneath the sun,

Evermore and evermore. Evermore and evermore.

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3 He assumed this mortal body, 4 O how blest that wondrous birthday,

Frail and feeble, doomed to die, When the Maid the curse retrieved,

That the race from dust created Brought to birth mankind’s salvation,

Might not perish utterly, By the Holy Ghost conceived;

Which the dreadful Law hath sentenced And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,

In the depths of hell to lie, In her loving arms received,

Evermore and evermore. Evermore and evermore.

¶Verses 5 & 6 sung by all.

Words: Prudentius (b. 348), tr. R. F. Davis

Music: Melody from Piae Cantiones, Theoderici Petri Nylandensis, 1582,

arr. David Willcocks 87. 87. 87. with Refrain

¶ The Congregation may be seated.

THE THIRD LESSON Isaiah 11:2-9 Reader: Bailey Curran, Coordinator, Youth Ministry

God’s peace is revealed to Israel.

MOTET Barry Rose (b. 1934)

Nation shall speak peace unto nation; It is their prayer that good seed sown, may bring forth good harvest.

—Paraphrase of Micah and Isaiah (BBC Motto)

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¶ All standing.

HYMN

[Choir only] [Congregation in unison]

2 Isaiah ‘twas foretold it, 3 O Flow’r whose fragrance tender

the Rose I have in mind, with sweetness fills the air,

with Mary we behold it, dispel in glorious splendor

the Virgin Mother kind. The darkness everywhere;

To show God’s love aright, true man, yet very God,

she bore to us a Savior, from sin and death now save us,

when half-spent was the night. and share our every load.

Words: St. 1-2, German, 15th cent.; tr. Theodore Baker (1851-1934), st. 3, Friedrich Layritz (1808-1859);

tr. Harriet Reynolds Krauth Spaeth (1845-1925); ver. Hymnal 1940

Music: Es ist ein Ros, melody from Alte Catholische Geistlich Kirchengesäng, 1599;

st. 1 harm. Michael Praetorius (1571-1621); st. 2-3 fauxbourdon

and descant John Abdenour (b. 1962) 76. 76. 676

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¶ The Congregation may be seated.

THE FOURTH LESSON Micah 5:2-5 Reader: Anna Bendiksen, Lay Eucharistic Assistant

The Prophet Micah speaks of Bethlehem’s destiny.

¶ All standing.

HYMN

Verses 3 & 4—overleaf

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[Choir only] [Congregation in unison]

3 How silently, how silently, 4 O holy Child of Bethlehem,

the wondrous gift is given! descend to us, we pray;

So God imparts to human hearts cast out our sin and enter in,

the blessings of his heaven. be born in us today.

No ear may hear his coming, We hear the Christmas angels

but in this world of sin, the great glad tidings tell;

where meek souls will receive him, O come to us, abide with us,

still the dear Christ enters in. our Lord Emmanuel!

Words: Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)

Music: Forest Green, English melody; adapt. and harm. Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

descant by Thomas H. W. Armstrong (1898-1994) CMD

¶ The Congregation may be seated.

THE FIFTH LESSON Luke 1:26-38 Reader: Julianne Seymour, Chair, Music Ministry Team

The angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary.

CAROL Mateo Flecha (1481-1553)

R IU RIU CHIU, la guarda ribera; Dios guardo el lobo de nuestra cordera, Dios guardo el lobo de neustra cordera.

El lobo rabioso la quiso morder, Mas Dios poderoso la supo defender; Quisola hazer que no pudiese pecar, Ni aun original esta Virgen no tuviera. Este qu’es nacido es el gran monarca, Christo patriarca, de carne vestido; hanos redimido con se hacer chiquito, a un qu’era infinito, finito se hiziera. Mira bien queos quadre que ansina lo oyera, Que Dios no pudiera hacer la mas que madre, El quera su padre hoy della nascio Y el que la drio su hijo so dixera. Pues que ya tenemos lo que deseamos, todos juntos vamos, presentes llevemos; todos le daremos muestra voluntad, pues a se igualar con el hombre viniera.

—Cancionero de Upsala, 1556

Riu, riu, chiu,1 the river bank protects it,

As God kept the wolf from our lamb;

As God kept the wolf from our lamb.

The rabid wolf tried to bite her, But God Almighty knew how to defend her; He wished to create her impervious to sin; Nor was this maid to embody original sin. He who’s now begotten is our mighty Monarch; Christ, our Holy Father, in human flesh embodied. He has brought atonement by being born so humble Though He is immortal, as mortal was created. He comes to give life to the dead, He comes to redeem the fall of man; This child is the light of day, He is the very lamb Saint John prophesied. Now we have gotten what we were all desiring, Go we together to bear him gifts: Let each give his will to the God who was willing To come down to Earth man's equal to be.

1 Song of the Nightingale

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ANTHEM John Abdenour (b. 1962)

W AKENED FROM a peaceful sleep “Why should I believe this tale, Young Mary viewed the stranger: I surely must be dreaming; “Who are you? Your purpose here? Sir, you now must leave this place

Why stand you in my chamber?” or soon I should be screaming.” “Mary,” the stranger said in peace, “Mary, O child of earthly mind, “Mary, all heaven sings your praise; Who could imagine God’s design? I bring news that God has chosen you to Know this: the angels guard your person who shall redeem the earth. [bear a Son, no man shall you defame; [without rest, Fear not, for I am but God’s lowly The child you bear shall be of God, herald of this birth.” Emmanuel his Name.”

“Sir, your words have calmed my heart, but leave me in perplexion: I, a maid who’s yet to wed seem odd for this selection.” “Mary, O child of earthly mind, Who could imagine God’s design? Know this: God means to visit earth in human form, and join the human race; And you shall be Theotokos,† †Gr.: God-Bearer, Mother of God

all purity and grace.”

“As heaven is high, and earth is low, Let us lift our song to her, And God’s ways are not man’s; the Mother of all renown, I God’s servant true shall be, she who birthed the Babe that turned The vessel of this plan.” the whole world upside down. “Mary, O child of noble mind, Hail Mary, full of heavenly grace; (Ave Maria) You shall enable God’s design. We see your love in Jesus’ face. (Ave Maria) Know this: in joyous praise of your Praise to the living God: Creator, Paraclete, the angels sing above; [courageous soul Redeemer, Three in One; It pleases God that you shall give whose love shall reign for ever more, this Babe your heart of love.” while endless ages run.

—John Abdenour, based upon Angelus ad Virginem (13th cent.)

THE SIXTH LESSON Luke 2:1-7 Reader: Bill Pellegrini, Transition-Recruitment Team

St. Luke tells of the birth of Jesus.

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ANTHEM John Rutter (b. 1945)

W HAT SWEETER MUSIC can we bring than a carol for to sing The birth of this our heav'nly king? Awake the voice! Awake the string;

Dark and dull night fly hence away, and give the honour to this day, That sees December turn to May, We see him come, And know him ours, who with his sunshine and his showers, Turns all the patient ground to flowers.

The darling of the world is come, and fit it is we find a room to welcome him, The nobler part of all the house here is the heart. Which we will give him and bequeath this holly and this ivy wreath, To do him honour who's our king, and Lord of all this reveling.

—Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

THE SEVENTH LESSON Luke 2:8-16 Reader: The Rev. Gregory Welin, Mission Council, Diocese of Connecticut

The shepherds go to the manger.

CAROL R. L. Chilcott (b. 1955)

W E STOOD on the hills, Lady, Our day’s work done, Watching the frosted meadows

That winter had won. The evening was calm, Lady, The air so still, Silence more lovely than music Folded the hill. There was a star, Lady, Shone in the night, Larger than Venus it was And bright, so bright. Oh, a voice from the sky, Lady, It seemed to us then Telling of God being born In the world of men. And so we have come, Lady, Our day’s work done, Our love, our hopes, ourselves We give to your son.

—Clive Sansom (1910-1981)

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¶ All standing.

HYMN

¶ The Congregation may be seated.

THE EIGHTH LESSON Matthew 2:1-18 Reader: John Ogletree, Senior Warden of the Vestry

The magi visit the Holy Family.

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CAROL Peter Warlock (1894-1930)

W HEN HE IS KING, we will give him the King’s gifts, myrrh for its sweetness and gold for a crown, beautiful robes,” said the young girl to Joseph,

fair with her first-born on Bethlehem Down.

Bethlehem Down is full of the star-light, winds for the spices and stars for the gold, Mary for sleep, and for lullaby music songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.

When he is King they will clothe him in grave-sheets, myrrh for embalming and wood for a crown, he that lies now in the warm arms of Mary, sleeping so lightly on Bethlehem Down.

Here he has peace and a short while for dreaming, close huddled oxen to keep him from cold, Mary for love, and for lullaby music songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.

—Bruce Blunt (1899-1957)

¶ The Congregation stands for the Ninth Lesson.

THE NINTH LESSON John 1:1-16 Reader: The Rev. Amy Doyle Welin, Interim Rector

St. John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.

¶ The Congregation may be seated.

MOTET Eric Whitacre (b. 1970)

L UX Light,

CALIDA GRAVISQUE pura velut aurum warm and heavy as pure gold

et camunt angeli molliter and the angels sing softly modo natum. to the new-born baby.

—Edward Esch (b. 1970), Latin tr. Charles Anthony Silvestri

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¶ Sung by all, standing.

HYMN

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¶ The Congregation remains standing.

THE COLLECT FOR CHRISTMAS

Priest The Lord be with you.

People And also with you.

The Officiant says the Collect.

A LMIGHTY GOD, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our

Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

THE BLESSING

The Officiant blesses the People.

M AY OUR GREAT REDEEMER, who by his incarnation gathered into one things earthly and heavenly, fill you with the sweetness of inward peace and goodwill; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with

you and remain with you always. Amen.

¶ Sung by all, standing.

HYMN

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Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788), alt.

Music: Mendelssohn, Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847);

adapt. William H. Cummings (1831-1915); desc. J. R. Abdenour (b. 1962) 77. 77. D with Refrain

ORGAN VOLUNTARIES In dulci jubilo BWV 729 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Improvisation on Divinum Mysterium

¶ Please leave the church quietly, so that those remaining can listen to the voluntary.

Thank you for your presence at this service. The People of St. Paul’s wish you and all those you love a blessed and holy Christmas.

We wish to thank Julie Seymour, the Music Ministry Team, and the Choir Parents for presenting the Yule Café prior to this evening’s service.

MUSIC NOTES

If any single human being can be said to have changed the sound of Christmas in the last hundred years, it must be David Willcocks. During his tenure as Director of Music at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, he created a large body of music for Christmas, specifi-cally, music for choir and organ and usable in a liturgi-cal setting. In today’s service, his music is represented by two timeless descants: “Once in royal David’s city”;

and “Of the Father’s heart begotten.” Willcocks’ predecessor Boris Ord was Director of Music from 1927 to 1957. Unlike Willcocks, Ord’s body of published works stands at exactly one: his elegantly restrained setting of Adam lay ybounden, which has be-come a staple of carol services worldwide for many years. The medieval text thanks God for the incident of Adam, Eve, the apple and the serpent, for although the

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eating of the apple opened humankind to sin and its horrible consequences, it also led ultimately to the in-carnation of Jesus through ‘Our Lady,’ Mary: The fall of mankind into sin, in and of itself a catastrophe, is re-deemed by God and becomes the perfect vehicle of God’s grace through the coming of Jesus. George Ratcliffe Woodward was, so to speak, the David Willcocks of his day. An accomplished linguist and musician, he was also an Anglican priest associated with the Cowley Fathers. In 1924 he collaborated with the composer Charles Wood to publish The Cambridge Carol Book, a collection of highly singable and attractive Christmas hymns, carols, and songs, including “Ding dong! merrily on high.” Many items from The Cambridge Carol Book subsequently made their way into Willcocks and Rutter’s Carols for Choirs series. The Holly and the Ivy is an English carol of indetermi-nate provenance. The words were first published in a broadside in Birmingham in 1814, and the tune was collected in 1911 by Cecil Sharp, one of several folk music aficionadi (along with Vaughan Williams and others) who drove the development of folk song-based hymns of the early 20th century. The verses reference various elements of Christ’s passion (blood, thorn, gall). One curious evolution in the text concerns a preposi-tion: In the early 1814 version, the final line of the re-frain is “sweet singing of the choir,” which morphed in subsequent iterations to “sweet singing in the choir.” Not a minor difference: the first reference is to an en-semble, the second, to the quire, the area in cathedrals and abbey churches where the monks sang their office services. An early example of the influence of the Ox-ford movement, perhaps? The charming tune of this carol has induced countless arrangers to try their luck, but none has succeeded more brilliantly than Henry Walford Davies, organist of the Temple Church in Lon-don. Walford Davies (pronounced ‘Davis’) was also the part-time director of religious music for the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). This position later fell to Barry Rose, who held it while moonlighting as organ-ist of Guildford and then St. Paul’s Cathedrals. While he was at St. Paul’s, the cathedral held a service cele-brating the 60th anniversary of the BBC, which occa-sioned Dr. Rose wearing both his hats at the same time. For this service he composed his motet Nation shall speak peace unto nation. A brief setting of the BBC’s offi-cial motto, this lovely little piece was premiered in a joint performance by the St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir and the BBC Singers. Riu, riu chiu is a 15th cent. Spanish Villancico, a form of strophic, polyphonic song similar to a madrigal, com-posed by Mateo Flecha the elder. The words of Riu, riu chiu are based on a Spanish legend, and tell of the Blessed Mother and her infant Son, and how God pro-tected them from Satan, who appears in the story in the guise of a wolf.

Four items in today’s service were composed for the Choir of St. Paul’s Fairfield by John Abdenour. In ad-dition to the arrangements for “O come, all ye faithful,” “Hark! the herald angels sing,” and “Lo, how a Rose,” we will hear today The Angel and Mary, composed this October. A freewheeling arrangement of the 13th-14th century melody and text Angelus ad Virginem, the work takes a fresh look at the story of the Annunciation, placing more emphasis on Mary’s process of inquiry and discernment and less on the sheer fact of her vir-ginity. Mary, voiced by the trebles of the choir, is in dialogue with the angel Gabriel, whose voice changes kaleidoscopically (lower voices, upper voices, full choir), depending upon what he’s saying. The music exploits a wide range of moods and modes, including recitative, plainsong, and even jazz. The work premiered on this year’s Advent Carol Service. John Rutter’s rise to international prominence began while he was a student at Cambridge, and has continued unabated ever since. In 1987 he was commissioned to compose a new carol for that year’s Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge. His setting of Robert Herrick’s poem What Sweeter Music is unusual amongst the yearly commissions for the King’s service in its refusal to countenance the cutting edge in any way. One of Rutter’s finest works, What Sweeter Music recalls a lost elegance from another time and stands in the tradition of such melodists as Parry, Vaughan Williams, and Elgar. And in the crowded world of John Rutter Christmas offerings (almost all in the comfy key of G-flat), What Sweeter Music stands apart. Fourteen years after Rutter was commissioned, Bob Chilcott composed The Shepherd’s Carol by for the 2001 Festival. Active as a composer and choral clinician, Chilcott grew up in the choir of King’s College, Cam-bridge, and went on to enjoy a career with the King’s Singers, before turning to full time work as a composer. The Shepherd’s Carol is typical of his music – meditative, modern, and very beautiful, with a marvelous moment of ecstasy at the words ‘and bright, so bright. . .” The words, from a poem by Clive Sansom, imagine the Shepherds, in simple language, trying to explain their presence at the manger to Mary. Philip Arnold Heseltine was a young composer (working under the pseudonym ‘Peter Warlock’) leading a somewhat Bohemian and dissolute existence in 1927 when he and his poet friend, Bruce Blunt, hit upon the idea of creating a Christmas carol for a composition competition being held by the Guardian of London. The hoped-for prize would underwrite the friends’ bev-erage supply for their Christmas festivities. In the event, their entry, Bethlehem Down, won the competition and became popular (and Christmas festivities did in fact take place as hoped). The somewhat questionable circumstances of the work’s genesis cannot obscure the brilliance of Warlock’s and Blunt’s creation, nor impair

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the meaning of its words. A fitting metaphor, it seems, for a season when we celebrate the out-of-wedlock birth, in a barn, of the Prince of Peace. Eric Whitacre was born in 1970 and grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. He came to classical music at the age of 21, when he sang with his college choir in a perfor-mance of Mozart’s Requiem. He began composing for choir thereafter, and has gone on to enjoy a spectacular career. His Lux arumque has been performed many

times, including at the 2008 carol service at King’s Col-lege. The most interesting performance of the work, however, appears on YouTube. Whitacre assembled a ‘virtual choir’ of hundreds of singers, each recorded singing the piece; the individual recordings were then combined. To date, the virtual choir performance has been viewed on YouTube over 3 million times. The original English text by Edward Esch was translated into Latin by Charles Silvestri.

PARTICIPATING IN TODAY’S SERVICE

Clergy The Reverend Amy Doyle Welin, Interim Rector

The Reverend Gregory Welin, Priest-in-Charge, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Woodbury, Connecticut

Music John R. Abdenour, Director of Music Johnson Flucker, Guest Conductor Christopher McCormack, Viola

Acolytes Benjamin B. Jr., Sarah Buggy, Andrew C., Neal M.

Ushers Lucy Buggy, Trish Garton

T H E S T . P A U L ’ S C H O I R

Cantoris Choir - Treble Elisabeth B.†, Matthew B., Madeline C., Julia H., Lauren L., Josephine M.,

Olivia S., Colin S., Miranda S., Noah S.

Alto – Cantoris: Robin Clark-Smith, Derek Greten-Harrison (Section Leader), Laura Mozier, Eva Uhrich

Tenor – Cantoris: Timothy Barney, Christopher McCormack (Section Leader)

Bass – Cantoris: Eric Andren, Benjamin McCormack (Section Leader)

Decani Choir - Treble Isabella B., William B., Charlotte B., Olivia B., Fiona C., Madison C.,

Madison C., Claire D., Maya K., Emma L.

Alto – Decani: Tracey Cranston, Elijah McCormack (Section Leader), Sarah McCormack

Tenor – Decani: Bennett S., Jonathan Taylor (Section Leader)

Bass – Decani: Greg Sullivan (Guest Section Leader) Philip Sidebottom † Soloist, Once in Royal David’s city

THE SAINT PAUL’S CHOIR is a 35 voice ensemble made up of boy and girl trebles with professionally led adults sing-ing alto, tenor and bass. The choir has toured England four times, most recently in 2016, singing services in the cathe-drals in Bristol, Durham, Edinburgh, Ely, Exeter, Gloucester, Hereford, Norwich, Peterborough, Southwark, St Albans, and Worcester. It has also sung at most of the major Episcopal churches in New York City, and engages in ongoing artistic collaborations with Yale Opera, the American Baroque Orchestra, and the venerable British choirmaster Barry Rose. Most members of the Choir are parishioners or children of parish families, but the Choir is open to all young peo-ple with an interest in singing and a commitment to membership in the choir. Neither membership in the parish nor previous choral training are required. (Membership for altos, tenors, and basses is open by audition, as space permits.) St. Paul’s is also home to the Saint Cecilia Choir, an adult choir that sings for some Sunday 9:30 Eucharist services and other services, and welcomes all singers. If you would like further information on any of these ensembles, please contact the Director of Music, John Abdenour.

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CHRI STMAS WORSHIP AT SA INT PAUL ’ S

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24 – CHRISTMAS EVE

FAMILY CRÈCHE SERVICE (HOLY EUCHARIST) AT 3:00 PM FESTIVAL HOLY EUCHARIST AT 5:30 PM CANDLELIGHT HOLY EUCHARIST AT 10:00 PM

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25 – CHRISTMAS DAY HOLY EUCHARIST AT 10:00 AM

ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 661 OLD POST ROAD

FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT 06824 203-259-3013

web site: www.stpaulsfairfield.org general e-mail: info@stpaulsfairfield.org

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN CONNECTICUT

The Right Reverend Ian Theodore Douglas, Bishop of Connecticut The Right Reverend Laura Jean Ahrens, Bishop Suffragan

CLERGY

The Reverend Amy Doyle Welin, Interim Rector The Reverend Melissa Lamkin, Priest Associate The Reverend Elizabeth H. Skaleski, Deacon

OFFICERS OF THE VESTRY John Ogletree, Senior Warden Linda Shaffer, Junior Warden Peter Osborne, Treasurer

Janet O’Donnell, Secretary of the Vestry

MEMBERS OF THE VESTRY

Lorie Boveroux, Gerry Burdo, Jane Corbett, Joanne Fredericks, Jon Hylan, Chris Jay, Dawn Miller

STAFF

John R. Abdenour, Director of Music Mary Ellen Clifton, Parish Administrator

Cathy Comstock, Director of Finance & Communications Tina Patrick, Facilities Manager