Suzanne Jubenville
Music Director
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| Clef Notes |
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| Written by Suzanne Jubenville |
| Tuesday, November 30 2010 12:51 |
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Our annual Advent Music Sunday service, "O Come Little Children," will take place on Sunday, December 5. Both the Adult Choir and the Children's Choir will be featured in this multigenerational service of music and readings. This service will be the debut of our new Children's Choir under the leadership of director Faith Kasparian. This year, instead of following the traditional Advent Lessons, the service will be based on the "Great O"Antiphons. These are seven Advent prayers traditionally chanted or sung on successive evenings beginning on December 17. The origin of the texts is unclear, but they had became staples of Christian Advent evening services by the second half of the 8th century. These beautiful prayers each begin with a supplication using the acclamation “O and a divine attribute: “O Wisdom,” “O Adonai,” “O Splendor,” “O Key,” etc. Each prayer calls upon the divine to enter the world in each of these seven aspects. Most of us are familiar with the Great O Antiphons without realizing it; they form the basis for the seven verses of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” At the heart of the Great O Antiphons is a universal message of longing for light during a time of darkness. The simple, universal yearnings they express will be illustrated by readings from great children's literature- including "Alice in Wonderland", "Wind in the Willows", and "The World of Christopher Robin", among others--juxtaposed with congregational hymns, anthems, organ music, and responses. We offer this service in hopes that people of all ages will be able to find meaning in the liturgy and beauty in the music. |