Christmastide

Merry Christmas to all and many blessings for the New Year!

Did you know that Christmas isn’t just a one day celebration on December 25? The season of Christmas runs up until and including the Sunday after Epiphany. For 2017, the Christmas season runs until the 8th of January. Christmas is hardly a relaxing time for most and even more so as a church musician – musical repertoire for Christmas is often crammed into the short period leading up to Advent! This year I was blessed to attend and be a part of several Christmas musical services:

• Sunday 11 December, 5pm: A service of carols and readings (St Matthew’s, Albury)
  Performed Widor’s Toccata from Symphony No. 5
• Friday 16 December, 7pm: St Patrick’s Albury – Christmas Carols
  Played at this parish event, along with small choir, interspersed with Christmas organ voluntaries
• Wednesday 21 December, 7pm: Lessons and Carols for Christmas (St Mary’s, Jindera)
  Attended this service with music by the local Jindera Parish Choir
• Sunday 25 December, 12 midnight: St Patrick’s Albury – Midnight Mass
  Missa de Angelis (Mass of the Angels) with the St Patrick’s Schola Cantorum
• Sunday 25 December, 9am Mass: St Mary’s, Jindera
  Attended Mass with my family

The organ repertoire I presented for the Christmas season were:

• Toccata from Symphony No. 5 – CM Widor
• Herr Christ, der ein’ge Gottes-Sohn (BWV 601) – JS Bach
• In dulci jubilo (BWV 751) – JS Bach
• In dulci jubilo (BWV 729) – JS Bach
• Berceuse Op 31, No 19 – L Vierne
• And of course the many well known Christmas carols, featuring special interludes and last verse arrangements!