“The only thing better than singing is more singing.” – Ella Fitzgerald
While the primary purpose of our church choirs is to minister weekly at Mass, we also look forward to the opportunities we have to share our song with the parish communities outside of the regular Sunday liturgies. Events like evening prayer, Taize services, or “Lessons and Carols” give us a chance to showcase music that may not always find a home in the Mass, but inspire, uplift, and celebrate our musical heritage as a Church. These special services give the choir more of a chance to perform, and a congregation the opportunity to appreciate more through just listening and enjoying the music – as opposed to placing “full, conscious, and active participation” as the primary goal. Make no mistake, there are plenty of opportunities for the assembly to sing along, too! We would never want you to feel left out!
This week, the choir began preparing for our Lessons and Carols event. The “lessons” are a series of nine readings from scripture that trace the coming of Jesus to his people through history much like the readings at the Easter Vigil chronicle the story of our salvation from Adam to Christ’s resurrection. The “carols” are just that – songs selected to complement those lessons. Some familiar and traditional, some newer or more obscure, but all intended to enhance our connection to God’s word present in sacred scripture. Details will be coming shortly in the bulletin. We hope you’ll join us and prepare our hearts, minds, and lives for Jesus’s coming this Advent season.
Please accept this invitation to participate more fully, more actively, in our parish’s music ministry. If you are interested in singing in the choir, leading the congregation as a cantor,
or enriching our liturgy as an instrumentalist, email Shawn Gelzleichter at sgelzleichter@gmail.com or call the rectory at 781-662-8844.