St. Cecilia Chamber Choir performs Lessons and Carols in the Bowdoin Chapel in 2023. Rebecca Wells photo
St. Cecilia Chamber Choir will present its annual Lessons and Carols Christmas concerts at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at Damariscotta Baptist Church and at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Bowdoin College Chapel in Brunswick.
A new setting of the Gerard Manley Hopkins poem “The Bethlehem Star” by former King’s Singers member Bob Chilcott will be featured. The John Rutter favorites “What Sweeter Music” and “There Is a Flower” will be performed, as well as Richard Francis’ ever-popular “People, Look East” based on Eleanor Farjeon’s Christmas poem. The choir will sing a setting of the Thomas Hardy poem “The Oxen” by Richard Francis’ father Keith Francis. Also featured will be “This Day Christ Was Born” by the prolific Elizabethan composer William Byrd. A professional string quartet will accompany the group on select pieces. As a special treat, Eric Whitacre’s “Glow,” composed for the “World of Color – Winter Dreams” show, which premiered at Disney California Adventure Park in California, is on the program.
Linda Blanchard is St. Cecilia’s artistic director, assisted by organist Sean Fleming.
Tickets are $20 for the Damariscotta Baptist Church concert and $25 for the Bowdoin Chapel concert; advance tickets are strongly encouraged. Admission is free for students and children. Tickets are available online at ceciliachoir.org and at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop in Damariscotta. For more information, email info@ceciliachoir.org or visit facebook.com/stceciliachamberchoir and ceciliachoir.org.
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