NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

12/03/2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES-A candlelight service of Lessons and Carols will be presented by the Northwestern Chamber Choir will present Monday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Francis Cabrini Church in Alexandria and Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church in Natchitoches. Admission is free and open to the public. Dr. Burt Allen will direct the Northwestern choir.

Accompaniment for the service will be provided Monday will be assisted by organists Dr. Mary Deville and Michael Rorex, flutist Dr. Denette McDermott and Susen Lenard on harp. Rorex, McDermott and Lenard will provide accompaniment for the service in Natchitoches. Soloists include sopranos Sawyer Thomas and Wendy Morgan and mezzo-soprano Shannan Tuia'ana.

This is the 13th 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.

Main Menu