Christmas eve 2007

The process of producing the Christmas concert and Mass at St. Thérèse's in Cresskill is never quite the same for us. This year, we had our regular keyboard/organ player drop out of action two weeks before the big day due to health problems, our choir director took a bad spill on the ice this last weekend, and a family of our best singers come down with respiratory issues causing them to drop out at the last minute too. But happily we were able to roll with the punches, call in a few favors, and make it all happen again.

And I had a solo!

Choral preludes

1. Nativity Carol, O’Brien (Erin Calev, soprano, and Colleen Crooker, alto)


2. Be Born in Us Today, Haas (Rich Magahiz, baritone)


3. O Little Town of Bethlehem, Redner (Don Mulry, tenor)


4. Still is the Night, traditional (Choir)


5. Carols Around and A Round, traditional, arranged by Carl Nygard (Choir)


6. O Holy Night, Adam (Choir)

Christmas Eve Mass (all pieces performed by full choir)

1. Entrance: O Come All Ye Faithful, Wade


2. Gloria: A Christmas Gloria, Gibson


3. Psalm: A Child is Born, Deiss


4. Alleluia: Christmas Alleluia, Dean


5. Offertory: He Shall Be Called, Callaway


6. Sanctus: Mass of Creation, Haugen


7. Profession of Faith: Mass of Creation


8. Amen: Mass of Creation


9. Lamb of God: Mass of Creation


10. Communion: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, Bach (violin and organ duet)


11. Recessional: Joy to the World, Händel

And by the end I couldn't hear my own voice, which is as it should be, I guess. I'll have to see whether my digital recorder was able to pick up anything worth listening to.

No cupcakes this year because of time constraints, but I did get to preside over the presentation of our Christmas gifts to our director and to our replacement keyboard player.