Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols to be read and sung at Methodist Church
 Fredonia Women’s Choir performing at 2008 Lessons and Carols |
Annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Sat., Dec. 11, 8 p.m.
First United Methodist Church,
25 Church Street, Fredonia
The SUNY Fredonia School of Music is pleased to bring the 24th annual Lessons and Carols performance to the community on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m. The event is free and open to all.
This community-wide holiday tradition symbolizes goodwill between the university and our community, and features the Fredonia Women’s Choir, I-Fei Chen-Markham on piano, and Father Sean Duggan playing organ with Mr. Justin Pomietlarz conducting.
Special guest readers include Dr. Dennis Hefner, President, SUNY Fredonia; Rev. Steve Wiggers, Pastor, First United Methodist Church; Michael Sullivan, Mayor, Village of Fredonia; Dr. Karl Boelter, Director, SUNY Fredonia School of Music; Mr. Joe Dan Harper, voice professor, SUNY Fredonia, and Fr. Sean Duggan, piano professor, SUNY Fredonia. The evening features music and readings, and the congregation will be invited to sing along at certain times during the program.
The Fredonia tradition of Lessons and Carols is taken from the original “Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” that has been sung on Christmas Eve at King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England since 1918. It began as an offering to the citizens of Cambridge, in honor of those who served in the Great War. The service began broadcast via radio in 1928 and, except for 1930, has been broadcast worldwide annually to an audience of millions. SUNY Fredonia presents this rendition of the Lessons and Carols as a gift to the community, and all are invited to join in the holiday celebration.
