Christmas Concert 2008

The Church Music Ministry Office gladly announces that the annual Christmas Concert will be presented at St. Mary’s on Sunday afternoon, December 21, 2008 at 4:00P.M. in the church. The concert is open to the parish and the public at no charge. A free will offering will be made available for donations that will benefit our Youth Ministry’s Rome Pilgrimage.
This year’s concert will feature three vocal ensembles, our organist Mr,. Trent Barry, pianist Mrs. Sarah Webb and our chamber group instrumentalists. Schola St. Mary’s, directed by Charles Culbreth, will perform some new arrangements of favorite seasonal tunes and texts.
These will include FOUR SPANISH CHRISTMAS CAROLS arranged by Noé Sánchez that have “Alegría….El decembre congelat… Soy un pobre pastorcito….and Vamos todos a Belen” sung in Spanish and Catalonian. An original carol, ONCE, IN BETHLEHEM features a new text by Denny Clark and music by Donald McCullough. The medieval text, THERE IS NO ROSE OF SUCH VIRTUE, is set anew by Stephen Caracciolo that praises our Lord’s Blessed Mother. The plaintive American carol by John Niles, I WONDER AS I WANDER is arranged for flute and choir by Ruth Schram. Donald McCullough’s fine talents are on display again with an incredible, powerful new setting of WHAT CHILD IS THIS? The traditional British carol MY DANCING DAY receives a brand new melody and treatment by the pen of Mark Burrows. IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR also receives a lush new melodic arrangement by David Giardiniere. And John Leavitt (a Schola favorite composer) arranges a Celtic Christmas tune by Brendan Graham: CHRISTMAS PIPES.
Our new parish Women’s Choir, directed by Wendy Culbreth will debut two classical pieces: SHEPHERDS, TUNE YOUR PIPES by Henry Purcell and CELEBRATION SONG by the famed “Messiah” composer Handel.
Lastly, the Franciscan Schola, directed by Ralph Colucci, will offer some beautiful seasonal Gregorian chants to compliment the other stylistic eras represented.
Please mark your calendars to save this date and time. Our attendance last year was wonderful and very gratifying and raised significant donation to the Visalia Rescue Mission. We hope you will exceed last year’s attendance figure so that can help our youth group members offset their travel expenses to the Vatican.