Nine Lessons and Carols gets widespread play in Western New York this week.By Bill Raffel, WBFO
Buffalo, NY – Telling the Christmas story through the spoken word and music. Good morning. I'm Bill Raffel with Music Notes.
If you haven't attended any holiday performances yet, this week is your final chance. And most of the offerings will take place in churches, most notably three different Festivals of Nine Lessons and Carols.
The original service took place at Kings College in Cambridge, England, blending old testament prophecies of the Messiah's coming, with the Christmas Story from the New Testament.
The first such service takes place tonight (Monday, 12/16) at 7:30?p.m. in Saint Joseph's Cathedral on Franklin near Church downtown. Bishop Henry Mansell will preside, and Mark DiGaimpaolo directs the Cathedral Choir.
Blessed Sacrament Church holds its annual Festival Sunday (12/22) at 4?p.m., under the direction of Frank Scinta. The church is located on Delaware near Utica.
And Dale Adelmann directs the Choir of Men and Boys plus the Girl's Choir at Saint Paul's Cathedral also Sunday at four. Dale says they follow the format of the Kings College Service, with additions unique to Saint Paul's.
This is the Girl's Choir of Saint Paul's Cathedral singing Britten's Ceremony of Carols with Harpist Suzanne Thomas accompanying, As they'll do Friday (12/20) at 12:30?p.m. at the corner of Pearl and Church downtown.
Then on Saturday, the Girls join the Choir of Men and Boys for a trip to Batavia. They'll be in Saint James Church Saturday (12/21) at 7:00?p.m., before presenting the service at Saint Paul's Sunday (12/22) at 4:00?p.m. Seats can be scarce for this service, so arrive early and hear Saint Paul's Assistant Organist Andrew Kotylo's prelude. Thanks to Dale Adelmann for joining us today.
Also on Sunday at 4?p.m., the Western New York Chorale presents a Prelude to the Nativity at Saint Simon's Episcopal Church on Cazenovia Street, with Herbert Tinney directing.
And the Buffalo Philharmonic gives two maintee performances of Hansel and Gretel with children in mind. Saturday and Sunday (12/21 and 12/22) afternoons at 2:30?p.m. in Kleinhans.