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NEWS RELEASE
Contact: David West
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
http://www.nsula.edu/news
12/06/2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES The Northwestern Chamber Choir will present a Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols Sunday, Dec, 8 at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph's Cathedral at the corner of North 4th and Main in Baton Rouge and Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Francis Cabrini Church in Alexandria. Admission is free and open to the public. Dr. Burt Allen will direct the Northwestern choir.
The Baton Rouge concert is part of the Concerts at the Cathedral Series. The series has also featured the choir of Trinity College from Cambridge University. Robbie Giroir, the St. Joseph Cathedral organist will accompany the choir.
During the Alexandria service, Northwestern's Choir will be joined by the Pineville High School Choir. Accompaniment for the service will be provided by Dr. Mary deVille, a member of Northwestern's faculty, and Betsy Allums-Widhalm. There will also be selections by NSU Professor of Flute Dr. Dennette McDermott. Among the soloists will be Northwestern student Blaire Pourciau.
The Pineville High choir will be directed by Brenda Rudd.
This is the 12th consecutive year in which the NSU choir has presented this service. According to Allen, the Lessons and Carols Service is based upon the century-old tradition established at Kings College, Cambridge, England, where it is performed every Christmas Eve to standing room only crowds and broadcast worldwide. It consists of nine lessons, readings for both the Old and New Testament of the Bible, all related to the Advent and birth of Christ. Each Lesson is followed by the choir singing one or more carols whose text relates to each of the readings. During the carols, altar servers light a variety of candles which remain lit throughout the service. Gradually, the church is transformed from darkness into light as the Service concludes in a festive recessional.