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Photo by Suzie Kim/The Choate News
Chamber Chorus performed investments and candles.
When joining the Lessons and Carols livestream this past Sunday, December 12, the audience would have immediately been soothed by the sweet sounds of the Chamber and Festival chorus, the calming music from members of Symphony Orchestra, and the readings of the nine stories. Lessons and Carols is a music-filled event and traditional service of Christian worship celebrated around Christmas Eve. Stories such as the fall of humanity, the promise of Messiah, and the birth of Jesus are recounted in the readings threaded with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns, and choir anthems.
This tradition was first established by Archbishop Benson and presented in Truro Cathedral in the late 19th century. It was later adapted at King’s College, Cambridge, in 1918 by Dean Eric Milner-White. Choate’s presentation is an adaptation of that version.
Mr. Evans, Head of Choral and Vocal Studies, selected songs that evoke a sense of nostalgia and comfort for the community. The service began with “Once in Royal David’s City” and included traditional holiday and Christmas music such as “Ave Maria” and “Mary had a Baby.” These songs were chosen to match the theme of the event and to highlight the energy of Choate’s musical groups.
“I focused on the sense of delight that comes through. Additionally, thinking about the meaning of the lyrics helps me focus on what we, as a group, are trying to convey to the audience,” said Faer Son ’24, a member of the Chamber Chorus.
The procession started with a soprano solo by Elsa Franks ’24, singing “Once in Royal David’s City,” which narrates the birth of Jesus. Then, the full choir joined and walked down the aisle of the chapel, holding lit candles.
Following “Once in Royal David’s City,” Ava Maha ’23 and Aria Ramnath ’24 performed a duet, “Mary Had a Baby.” Maha remarked that the piece is very beautiful. “I particularly like that this song mixes gospel and spiritual styles, and the piece has evolved over time to become what we are singing today, and lacks just one definite or correct version,” she said.
Chamber chorus closed their performance with “Ave Maria,” which was originally composed by Schubert and named “Ellen’s Third Song.” This piece contained many challenging components, and the group spent more time perfecting those complex sections. “It was difficult to sight-read at first and takes up a lot of energy, as we need to save our breath for the long ending and the sopranos’ high note, which is higher than average. The hard work we put in made it worth it, though,” said Son.
Students are ecstatic to spread the joy of the holiday season to the Choate community through the familiar carols, which convey a strong sense of unity within all people, regardless of individual religious beliefs.
