Allamakee Ecumenical Choir to present 43rd annual “Festival of Lessons and Carols” this Sunday at St. John's Lutheran Church

The Allamakee Ecumenical Choir will present its 43rd annual Candlelight Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols service this Sunday, December 15 at 7 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church, located at 8 Fifth Street SW in Waukon. Area clergy will read the lessons, and carols will be sung by the choirs and congregation while accompanied by organ, trumpets and handbells.

Choral numbers will be presented by the Ecumenical Choir, Ecumenical Men’s Choir, Ecumenical Women’s Choir and Ecumenical Children’s Choir. Musical selections will also be presented by the St. John’s Lutheran Church Youth and Senior Handbell Choirs and the Bixby String Quartet. The program is prepared and directed by James Bieber, Organist and Director of Music at St. John’s Lutheran Church, and he is assisted by his daughter, Waukon Middle and High School Choral Director Sarah Palmer, and also by Lindsey Lund.

The public is invited to attend and share in this joyous community celebration of Christmas. A reception will follow the event in the Fellowship Hall in the church basement.

The Allamakee Ecumenical Choir presents the...
43rd Annual Candlelight Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols

Director/Organist: James H. Bieber; Assisted by Sarah J. Bieber and Lindsey Lund
Sunday, December 15, 2019, 7 p.m.
St. John's Lutheran Church, Waukon, Iowa

Pre-service Music: Waukon High School Brass Quintet and The Bixby String Quartet

A FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS
Procession of Bells and Choirs: HE IS BORN; Tune: IL EST NE, Text: French Carol, XVIII Century; Arr.: Mitchell Eithun
Welcome:    Rev. Bryan Robertson
Prelude: SING WE NOW OF CHRISTMAS, French carol; Arr.: Kevin McChesney; St. John’s Lutheran Youth Handbell Choir
Congregational Carol: O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL; Tune: ADESTE FIDELES, Text: Latin Hymn, XVIII Century; Music: John F. Wade’s CANTUS DIVERSI, 1751; Ecumenical Choirs, Congregation and Trumpet; Introduction arranged by David Lasky
Opening Prayer:    Rev. Bryan Robertson

THE LESSONS AND CAROLS
First Lesson: ST. MARK i    Rev. Grant VanderVelden
Carol: PREPARE YE; Text: New Testament; Music: Marc A. Robinson; Ecumenical Choir and Percussion; Greg Hagensick, Tenor Soloist
Second Lesson: ST. MATTHEW i    Rev. Keith Selberg
Carol: FUM, FUM, FUM; Text: English Lyrics; Tune: Catalan Dance Carol; Arr.: Alice Parker and Robert Shaw; Ecumenical Choir
Third Lesson: ST. LUKE ii    Rev. Tim Rupert
Carol: SHEPHERDS! SHAKE OFF YOUR DROWSY SLEEP; Text: French Trad. Carol; Tune: BESANCON; Arr.: Will Nichols and Anthony J. Patterson; Ecumenical Women’s Choir, Piano and Clarinet
Congregational Carol: PEOPLE LOOK EAST; Text: Eleanor Farjeon, 1881-1965; Music: French Carol; Tune: BESANCON; Arr.: Barry Rose
Fourth Lesson: ST. LUKE ii    Rev. Laura Gentry
Carol: SHEPHERDS CAME TO BETHLEHEM; Text: Traditional; Tune: Polish Folk Tune; Ecumenical Children's Choir and Piano
Fifth Lesson: ST. LUKE ii    Rev. Kim Gates
Carol: HURRY TO THE STABLE; Text and Music: Dori Erwin Collins; Ecumenical Children's Choir and Piano
Congregational Carols: GOOD CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, REJOICE; Text: Medieval Latin Carol translated by John Mason Neale, 1818-1866; Music: German Carol, 14th Century; Tune: IN DULCI JUBILO; and JESUS LOVES ME; Tune: William B. Bradbury; Arr.: Joel Raney; St. John’s Lutheran Youth Handbell Choir and Piano
Announcements:    Rev. Bryan Robertson
Offertory: INTERLUDE; By Marc-Antoine Charpentier, 1634-1704; Bixby String Quartet; and IN DULCI JUBILO; Tune: IN DULCI JUBILO and GREENSLEEVES; Arr.: John Behnke; St. John’s Lutheran Senior Handbell Choir and Bixby String Quartet; and PASTORALE (from the Christmas Concerto); Arcangelo Corelli, 1653-1713; Bixby String Quartet
Sixth Lesson: ST. MATTHEW ii    Rev. Kenneth Kimball
Carol: DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR; Text and Tune: Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne; Arr: Joe Liles; Ecumenical Men's Choir
Seventh Lesson: ST. JOHN i    Rev. Father Mark Osterhaus
Carol: REJOICE AND SING!; Text and Music: John Rutter; Ecumenical Choir and Piano
Candlelight Ceremony    Rev. Bryan Robertson
Carol: SILENT NIGHT; Tune: STILLE NACHT; Text: Joseph Mohr, 1792-1885; Arr: John Ferguson; Combined Ecumenical Choirs, Handbells and Violin
Prayer    Rev. Bryan Robertson
Collection/Blessing    Rev. Bryan Robertson
Recessional Carol: JOY TO THE WORLD; Tune: ANTIOCH, George F. Handel, 1685-1759; Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748; Setting: John Ness Beck; Ecumenical Choirs, Congregation, Organ and Trumpets, Introduction by Frederick Frahm
Postlude: CHRISTMAS FANTASY (A Medley of Christmas Carols for Organ and Piano Duet); Arr: Clarence Kohlman; Lindsey Lund, Organ and James Bieber, Piano

PARTICIPATING CLERGY
Rev. Kim Gates, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and Forest Mills United Methodist Church, Waukon; Rev. Laura Gentry, Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Lansing; Rev. Kenneth Kimball, Old East and Old West Paint Creek North American Lutheran Churches, Waterville; Rev. Fr. Mark Osterhaus, St. Patrick Catholic Church, Waukon; Rev. Bryan Robertson, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Waukon; Rev. Tim Rupert, Zalmona Presbyterian Church, Waukon; Rev. Keith Selberg (retired), Zion United Church of Christ, Waukon; Rev. Grant VanderVelden, First Presbyterian Church, Waukon

ECUMENICAL CHOIR
Soprano: Maureen Berryman, Sarah Bieber, Judith Engle, Aislinn Goettel, Sarah Hagen, Vickie Larson, Pat Novak, Nona Sawyer
Alto: Sue Bieber, Rev. Laura Gentry, Linda Groe, Linda Halvorson, Lindsey Lund, Dawn Teslow, Sue Torkelson, Nancy Wonderlich, Kate Wooden
Tenor: Brian Bieber, Mark Brainard, Lowell Engle, Jeff Goettel, Greg Hagensick, Zach Rethwisch
Bass: Cameron Berges, Jonathan Buhl, Gabe Goettel, Randy Johnsen, Rev. Bryan Robertson, Chris Stuckman
Children’s Choir: Dalton Ellickson, Annie Ellingson, Eireann Goettel, Emily Guyer, Kara Helgerson, Hannah Jeglum, Reagan Lubahn, Olivia Marti, Ashlin O’Neill, Brooklyn Ottaway, Naomi Palmer, Norah Palmer, Leah Peake, Molly Peake, Sarah Stock, Eva Whalen

ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH YOUTH HANDBELL CHOIR
Dalton Ellickson, Hailey Houg, Logan Houg, Lynsey Houg, Madelyn Marti, Olivia Marti, Madelyn Moser, Emma Palmer, Madalyn Palmer, Matthew Rozzell, Sarah Stock, Brandon Teslow, Hannah Teslow, Peyton Verthein

ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH SENIOR HANDBELL CHOIR
Sarah Bieber, Sue Bieber, Sue Blagsvedt, Linda Groe, Sarah Hagen, Logan Houg, Vickie Larson, Madelyn Marti, Jon Payne, George Pickett, Matthew Rozzell, JoAnn Sherman, Chris Stuckman, Sue Torkelson

INSTRUMENTALISTS
Brass Quintet: Aislinn Goettel, Trombone; Owen Halverson, Tuba; Sophie Halverson, French Horn; James VanderVelden, Trumpet; JoAnn Sherman, Trumpet; Trumpet: Randy Johnsen, Tim Lund, JoAnn Sherman; Clarinet: JoAnn Sherman; Piano/Organ: James H. Bieber, Lindsey Lund; Percussion: Logan Houg, Madalyn Palmer, Matthew Rozzell; The Bixby String Quartet: Violin: Addyson Bixby, Evan Bixby; Viola: Alivia Bixby; Cello: Abram Bixby

The concert will also be broadcast Christmas Eve Day, December 24, at 12 p.m. on KNEI.