The holiday season would not be complete without Kentucky Wesleyan’s 8th annual Festival of Lessons & Carols. The glorious St. Stephen Cathedral hosts this two-night event at 7:00 p.m. on Nov. 29 and 30. The Kentucky Wesleyan Singers will sing anthems on the themes of love, redemption and expectation. They will sing ancient chants and hymns, proclaim the good news in “Southern Harmony” style. Attendees add their voices to the celebration by singing well-loved carols. Come join in this season of expectation with Kentucky Wesleyan. Tickets for adults are $10 and $5 for seniors and students with I.D.
Click below to purchase tickets online or call Peggie Greer at 270-852-3117.
Associate Professor of Music Dennis Jewett will direct the 40-voice Wesleyan Singers, and Assistant Professor of Music Kevin Callihan, director of instrumental ensembles, will direct the Wesleyan Brass Ensemble. James Wells ’14, director of music at St. Stephen Cathedral and adjunct instructor at Wesleyan, will provide accompaniment on the organ and piano. Nate Gross, Wesleyan theatre director, will narrate the program.
“The Wesleyan Lessons & Carols is the Owensboro version of the traditional service,” said Professor Jewett. “We get to sing in a beautiful sacred space with the lovely acoustics of St. Stephen Cathedral. The program is a beautiful and meaningful start to our city’s Advent and Christmas season.”
This year’s event includes two traditional carols, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and carols written for the traditional Nine Lessons & Carols service in Cambridge, England. The program also features new carol arrangements by important living composers: Dan Forrest, Ola Gjeilo and Jan Sandstrom.
The Festival of Lessons & Carols, a tradition begun in England on Christmas Eve in 1880, weaves scripture readings and carols of the season in stirring homage to the birth of Christ. A much-beloved version of the festival began at King’s College, Cambridge, in 1918, and is broadcast worldwide every Christmas Eve. Some sources report that it is the single music program heard by more people worldwide than any other annual event.