Seasonal musical feast prepared for Catholics in Archdiocese of Baltimore

If variety is indeed the spice of life, then Catholics in the Archdiocese of Baltimore should prepare for a musical feast for the senses this Advent and Christmas season.

Musicians and musical directors have prepared a wide array of performances to treat worshipers during the Catholic calendar’s most joyous time of the year.

From a Christmas Festival and Handel’s “Messiah” at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore to performances by a Grammy winner in Howard County, there’s something for just about anyone’s musical taste.

“We have a very diverse liturgical musical presence articulated by a number of excellent musical leaders in our archdiocese,” said Lynn Trapp, director of liturgy and music at St. Joseph in Cockeysville. “That leadership group highlights the talents and age groups in each of their parishes.”

Thomas Bozek, longtime music director at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Baynesville, said it’s the season for parishes to shine musically.

“It’s important to have good music all year round, but we strive to put our best foot forward at Christmas,” Bozek said, “not so much with the variety of music, but with music that’s approachable and that people recognize and join in with. All the great choirs in the world can’t replace the singing of the assembly.”

Immaculate Heart of Mary plans to strike up the band for its Christmas Eve and Christmas Day liturgies, adding a professional quartet, strings and soloists to its Heart of Mary Choral group. The parish hosts a year-round concert series and its performance for the feast of Epiphany (Jan. 5) will feature Christmas music performed by singers and instrumentalists from Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore.

At St. Louis in Clarksburg, Artistic Director Colleen Eberhardt said the parish’s annual Christmas concert is a way to evangelize and boost community spirit.

“In these times where we are increasingly divided, it’s a great way to unite as a community,” said Eberhardt of St. Louis’ Dec. 15 “Christmas at St. Louis.” The event will feature Grammy-award winning soloist Tynan Davis and the St. Louis choral and orchestral ensembles in a program of seasonal melodies.

The St. Louis concert also collects nonperishable food items for the food pantry at Howard Community College.

“It’s one of the things that we are most proud about, that we can make an impact on the community,” Eberhardt said. “Music is a universal language and it’s enormous to be able to share with everyone in such grand style.”

Sharing and unity also are the themes for Grammy-nominated music director Tony Small at St. Bernardine in West Baltimore. As part of the archdiocese’s Seek the City to Come initiative, St. Bernardine is welcoming congregants and musicians from St. Edward and St. Gregory the Great.

“This year the whole message is bringing people together,” Small said. “The musical theme is unity as we focus on the carols and Christmas music that Catholics know and love.”

Small said St. Bernardine plans to host its first rehearsals of its unified musicians the weekend after Thanksgiving with the focus on preparing holiday music for St. Bernardine liturgies. He said the parish again will feature guest musicians from the Peabody Institute at its Christmas liturgies.

Services this year for many churches include lessons and carols on Gaudete Sunday (Dec. 15).

St. Joseph in Cockeysville will host its Advent Choral Service Dec. 15 at 4 p.m., featuring the St. Joseph Parish Choir and Schola.

“I think of all the liturgical feasts, common worshipers recognize many of the tunes at Christmas,” said Trapp, who is incorporating a new pipe organ and piano into services at the recently refurbished St. Joseph. “It’s an incentive for the senses to be more engaged in the liturgy. They are compelled to sing with us because they recognize the songs. Music is integral to the celebration of the Eucharist.”

At St. Joseph, the Hispanic community will celebrate the season musically on Christmas Eve at 8 p.m. Mass in addition to an earlier event to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12).

The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland also will offer lessons and carols Dec. 15.  

“Advent is such a very important season,” said Julie Grace Males, director of liturgical music at the cathedral. “It’s very important to not overstep Advent.”

St. Alphonsus Rodriguez in Woodstock also plans to combine lessons and music, hosting an Advent-Christmas Concert with Reflections Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. The musicians of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez and Granite Presbyterian Church (adult choir, children’s choir, youth ensemble, handbell choir, brass, instrumental and vocal soloists) will perform Advent songs and Christmas carols. The Embassy String Quartet also will be featured.

At St. Alphonsus, the audience is invited to join in with Christmas carols at various times during the concert. The event will include reflective readings on the Advent and Christmas seasons.

St. John the Evangelist in Severna Park will host a similar lessons and carols event Jan. 3 at 7 p.m.

In Fulton, St. Francis will break out the handbells for its lessons and carols performance to go with its adult choir and guest instrumentalist for a Christmas concert Dec. 22 at 5 p.m.

In Libertytown, St. Peter the Apostle will host “The Seven Last Symbols of the Jesse Tree – Love is in the Manger” Dec. 15 at 4 p.m.

In Towson, students from Immaculate Conception will have a busy schedule as their ICS Choir participates in the annual Towson Tree Lighting (Dec. 6, 6 p.m.) and takes part in WBAL News Radio’s annual broadcasts from Valley View Farms (Dec. 19, 7:30 a.m.). The ICS Choir and bands will put on a Christmas concert Dec. 18 at 6:45 p.m. at the school.

At least two parishes will feature works from Handel’s “Messiah.”

St. Casimir in Canton will offer “Bach in Baltimore: A Baroque Christmas and Carols” that features excerpts from Handel’s “Messiah” Dec. 8 at 4 p.m. The Baltimore Basilica will showcase two performances of Handel’s “Messiah” Dec. 13 and 14 at 7 p.m., led for the second straight year by Maestro Ed Polochick, featuring the Baltimore Basilica Festival Orchestra and Choir.

Advent-Christmas Musical Events

Dec. 4

Catholic Charities Christmas Festival

Baltimore Basilica, 409 Cathedral St., Baltimore; featuring Baltimore Choral Arts Society with Morgan State University Choir; dessert and wine reception; 7:30-9 p.m.; cc-md.org/Christmas

Dec. 6

Lessons and Carols

St. Alphonsus Rodriguez Church, 10800 Old Court Road, Woodstock; Advent songs and Christmas carols with readings; freewill offering; 7-8:30 p.m.; 443-973-5477, lyle@stalchurch.org, stalchurch.org

Dec. 8

Bach in Baltimore

St. Casimir, 2800 O’Donnell St., Baltimore;  “A Baroque Christmas and Carols” that features excerpts from Handel’s “Messiah”; 4 p.m.; 410-941-9262, bachinbaltimore.org

Dec. 13-14

Handel’s “Messiah”

Baltimore Basilica, 409 Cathedral St., Baltimore; Celebrate the Christmas season with concerts led by Maestro Ed Polochick, featuring the Baltimore Basilica Festival Orchestra and Choir; $48; Dec. 13, 7-10 p.m., and Dec. 14, 3-6 p.m.; 410-547-5523, info@baltimorebasilica.org, tinyurl.com/handels-messiah-basilica  

Dec. 14

Concert and dinner

St. Gabriel, 6946 Dogwood Road, Woodlawn; program features a variety of choirs from St. Gabriel, Father Miguel Trinidad and the St. Charles Borromeo traditional and contemporary choirs; 6 p.m.; 410-944-2106; stgabrielch.org/christmasconcert

Dec. 15

Christmas at St. Louis

St. Louis Church, 12500 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville; Grammy-award winning soloist Tynan Davis joins St. Louis choral and orchestral ensembles in a program of seasonal melodies; 4-6 p.m.; 410-531-6040, events@stlconcertseries.org, stlconcertseries.org

Lessons and Carols

Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, 5200 N. Charles St., Baltimore; evening of lessons and carols performed by the Cathedral choir, schola and guests; 5 p.m.; 410-464-4000, julie.males@archbalt.org, cathedralofmary.org 

Dec. 22

Christmas Concert

St. Francis of Assisi, 8300 Old Columbia Road, Fulton; featuring the adult choir, handbell choir and guest instrumentalists; concert will be in a lessons and carols format; 5 p.m.; instrumentofpeace.org

Jan. 3

Lessons and Carols

St. John the Evangelist, 689 Ritchie Highway, Severna Park; Parish Activities Center; service of Scripture and song that dates to the late 19th century, featuring nine Scripture lessons; 7 p.m. stjohnsp.org

Jan. 5

Lessons and Carols for Epiphany

Immaculate Heart of Mary, 8501 Loch Raven Blvd., Baynesville; Scripture, prayer, music, choral anthems and congregational hymns led by the choirs of Archbishop Curley High School and Director Michael Gaffney; 4 p.m.; free; ihmchurchmd.org

Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@catholicreview.org

Read More Advent

Lighten burdens by making room for the Lord, pope says at Angelus

Gift ideas: Shopping for a six-foot stuffed goose?

Lost and found

‘A’ is for Advent

Holiday spending, Catholic style

Four ways to follow St. Joseph this Advent

Copyright © 2024 Catholic Review Media

 Print