Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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10 UCW December 6-12, 2023 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Cantata to be held at St. Joseph's Episcopal Church by LENA SIMMONS St. Joseph's Episcopal Church presents Sing Christmas, a Christmas Cantata arranged by Joel Raney and Mary McDonald. e Cantata Chorus is under the directorship of Sharon Smith McNair. e performance will be Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. St Joseph's Episcopal Church is a member of the Worldwide Anglican Communion. It was established in 1873 and is the second oldest epis- copal church, and the oldest African American church, in Fayetteville. It has been listed on the National Regis- ter of Historic Places since 1982. A cantata is "a medium length of music for voices with instrumental accompaniment typically with solos, and chorus," states Oxford Dictionary. e cantata will feature songs such as "Sing Joy," and "e Bells" which fea- ture piano and narration. "Emanuel, God is With Us" and "Joy of Longing Hearts are also a part of the musical program. e crowd favorites are Mo- town Temptations' "Silent Night," and audience participation with the cho- rus during the "Hallelujah Chorus." e signature piece for the Sing Christmas Cantata is "Tell Out My Soul." e words reflect Mary's response to the Angel's words. e inspirational lyrics are "Tell out my soul, the glories of his Word; Firm is his promise and his mercy sure. Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord to children's children for ever more." "St Joseph eagerly looks forward to the annual Christmas Cantata. Over the last twenty years, the Cantata has become a community event. e at- tendance is high with performances being standing room only," said Samuel Lloyd, St. Joseph's Episcopal Church parish administrator. "Under the direction Sharon Smith McNair, many of our choristers come from community churches to join to make this an event to remember each year. is year we have stepped up our game by including an orchestra in the performance. We plan to continue to awe the audience with music at Christmas time." Sharon Smith McNair, director and founder of the Cantata Concert, shares her insights. "e annual Christmas cantata has been a tradition at St Joseph's for more than twenty years," she said. "It really began at Haymount Presbyterian Church when I was an organist and choir director there. I chose a cantata tradition there and in- vited the choir from St. Joseph's to join us. An interesting fact is one member of Haymount has never missed sing- ing in the Cantata each year since the beginning: bass singer Jerome Brown. Every year the choir averages 35 singers from various churches from the community. e St Joseph's choir members review five or six cantata choices during our annual Choir Retreat in July. "We rehearse Tuesday and ursday nights starting in September until pro- duction in December. is year we are excited to have a small orchestra to ac- company us. Previous to this year, we had a rhythm combo. Sing Christmas is the cantata choice for this year. I call it classical with a twist. Arrangements with traditional Christmas favorites along with hymns, and newly com- posed pieces make up the work. We always weave in the audience favorites of the Temptation's Silent Night' and Handel's 'Hallelujah Chorus' from 'Messiah.'" St Joseph's Episcopal Church, Christmas Cantata is a Fayetteville Christmas tradition. e musical directorship is Sharon Smith McNair, with arrangements by Joel Raney and Mary McDonald. e orchestra- tion accompaniment is by Michael Lawrence. To find out more, send an e-mail stjoefay@gmail.com, visit the website at www.stjoefay.org or call 910-323-0161. e Cantata has free admission. Donations are welcome. Members of the St. Joseph's Episcopal Church Choir gather in performance formation at a practice for the Sing Christmas Cantata. (Photo courtesy of Lena Simmons) EVENT 2024 Community Directory POCKET GUIDE 2023 Community Directory POCKET GUIDE 2024 Community Directory POCKET GUIDE FREE to Residents, Businesses and Organizations throughout our Community Reserve your Full Page Ad NOW in the 2024 Pocket Guide. Television and Radio Stations Universities & Colleges Local Annual Events Frequently Called Numbers Area Health Facilities County Libraries Local Festivals 18 Month Calendar Parks & Recreation Town of Hope Mills & Hope Mills Chamber Schools Public & Private Museums & Galleries Live Theatre For More Information Call 910-484-6200 www.upandcomingweekly.com nline 24/7 • City-Wide • County-Wide • on Ft. Liberty • and I-95 H A V E Y OU DON E I T POWERED BY 2023 Business & Community Directory W W W . U P A N D C O M I N G W E E K L Y . C O M POCKET GUIDE 23 vol. LENA SIMMONS, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly. com. 910-484-6200.