Kentucky Wesleyan invites the community to begin the Christmas season with “All Praise to Thee: A Festival of Lessons and Carols” Dec. 4 and 5 at 7 p.m. at St. Stephen Cathedral at 610 Locust St.
The Service of Nine Lessons and Carols is a unique Christmas liturgy that comes to us by way of the Anglican tradition. The first celebration of the Lessons and Carols was in 1880 at England’s Truro Cathedral. The service was an outgrowth of the Victorian tradition of door-to-door Christmas caroling, and the Bishop of Truro, E. W. Benson, sought to contextualize the carols within the narrative of our salvation found in the Bible. The present form of the service, on which today’s worship is based, was solidified in 1918 at King’s College, Cambridge. Throughout the service, the hymns and carols comment on the scriptural narrative presented.
The Kentucky Wesleyan Singers will perform works by Dan Forrest, Elaine Hagenberg, Victor C. Johnson and Ivo Antognini.
Choral Director Hadley Rouse will conduct, and James Wells, director of music at the cathedral, will serve as collaborative pianist. The program will feature two percussion students, Joseph Howard ’26 and Davis Brocato ’26 and the Shepard Brass Quintet.
“The Festival of Lessons and Carols is a delightful way to usher in the Christmas season,” said Hadley Rouse. “The concert has become an Owensboro tradition with beautiful music in a sacred setting, a fitting celebration of the birth of Christ.”
Tickets ($10 general admission, $5 for senior adults and students with ID) are available at kwc.edu/events/, by calling 270-852-3117 and at the door.