The Festival of Lessons and Carols is much, much, much older than the soloist who will perform Wednesday evening at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Rogers.
The first such celebration, described as "a little service for Christmas Eve -- nine carols and nine tiny lessons," took place at Truro Cathedral in Cornwall, England, before the turn of the 20th century.
FAQ
Festival of Lessons and Carols
WHEN — 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
WHERE — St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Rogers
COST — Free; donations will be collected for the NWA Children’s Shelter
INFO — Email [email protected]
Wednesday's soloist, Kaitlin Deans, is 12. She will sing the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria" in a program that also includes "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," "Mary Did You Know," "Silent Night," "We Three Kings" and "Joy to the World."
"Choosing [the Festival of Lessons and Carols] is very practical," says Brian Breeding, director of music ministries at First United Methodist Church in downtown Rogers. "It's tried and true, a framework we know works. Regardless of worship styles, people like to sing 'Joy to the World.'"
People also love "Ave Maria," says Bill Hesse, choir director at First Presbyterian Church in Rogers. And he says Kaitlin will impress her audience.
"I like this song because I love classical music, and I think it is just so cool to be singing in a different language [Latin]," Kaitlin says.
The daughter of Brittany and Jake Deans and a sixth-grader at Ruth Hale Barker Middle School in Bentonville, Kaitlin has been singing since she was 9.
"Yes, this is my biggest solo so far," she says. "I have had some other singing opportunities, including being accepted into a summer intensive Broadway program in New York City, but this is probably my biggest solo.
"I hope to be on Broadway when I grow up," she adds. "Either that or an opera singer; I haven't made up my mind. I want to be on Broadway because singing is my passion, and I love to be on stage. I want to be an opera singer because most of the time you get to sing in a different language, and you get to put so much power into your words and emotions."
Although Kaitlin's solo is expected to be a highlight of Wednesday's program, the idea is for the audience to sing along, Hesse says.
"Lots of other Christmas performances are just that -- concerts," Hesse says. "Traditional hymns are designed for the average person to sing," adds Breeding. "And no time in Western culture do we have more singing than at Christmas."
Breeding was the instigator behind this year's Festival of Lessons and Carols, which brings together five Rogers churches: St Vincent de Paul, First Presbyterian, Grace United Methodist, Oakley Chapel United Methodist and First United Methodist. St. Vincent de Paul was chosen for the event because it seats 1,400 people.
"Our hope is yes, our congregation will attend, but also we want people who don't go to church to put aside all their differences and be a community," he says.
Lourdes Montgomery, choir "servant" at St. Vincent de Paul, organist and pianist for Spanish Mass and a composer and arranger of music, says "the common denominator is Jesus Christ."
"It's just logistics after that," Breeding agrees.
NAN What's Up on 11/25/2016