“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, …, and we shall be changed.” (I Corinthians, 15:51)
The stellar a-cappella choral group, Quire of Voyces, led by Nathan Kreitzer, founder/artistic director, presents its anticipated annual Christmas program the group calls the Mysteries of Christmas, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, both in St. Anthony’s Chapel on the campus of the Garden Street Academy, 2300 Garden St.
This year’s program includes:
“Rejoice, Rejoice With heart and Voice” (William Byrd, ca1543-1623); “O Beatum et Sacrosanctum Diem” (Peter Philips, 1561-1628); “A Hymn to The Virgin” (Benjamin Britten, 1913-76); “Coventry Carol” (traditional, arranged by Linda Kachelmeier, born 1965).
“Magnificat: für Gemischten Chor a Cappella” (Arvo Pärt, born 1935); “Love Came Down at Christmas” (Richard Lloyd, born 1933); “O Magnum Mysterium” (Morten Lauridsen, born 1943); “Nunc Dimittis” (Gustav Holst, 1874-1934); ‘Noel!: For Men’s Choir” (Steven Sametz, born 1954).
“In the Bleak Midwinter” (Harold Darke, 1888-1976); “Tomorrow Shall be My Dancing Day (traditional, arranged by Dale Grotenhuis, 1931-2012); “When Rooks Fly Homeward (Arthur Baynon, 1889-1954); “The Three Kings” (Healey Willan, 1880-1968).
“Still, Still, Still” (traditional, arranged by Nathan Kreitzer, born 1967); “The Wexford Carol” (arranged by John Rutter, born 1945); and “Silent Night” (Franz Xaver Gruber, 1787-1863, arranged by Malcolm Sargent, 1895-1967).
As referenced by the Quire, the term “mystery” refers not to some Agatha Christie narrative, but to aspects of the Christian faith, which are ultimately sustained by faith, rather than reason. As explained by the famous 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Brittanica:
“Although the term is not used equally by all Christian traditions, many if not most basic aspects of Christian theology require a supernatural explanation.
“To name but a few key examples, these include the nature of the Trinity, the Virgin birth of Jesus, and the Resurrection of Jesus. These are mysteries in the sense that they cannot be explained or apprehended by reason alone.
“The word mysterion (μυστήριον) is used 27 times in the New Testament. It denotes not so much the meaning of the modern English term mystery, but rather something that is mystical.
“In the biblical Greek, the term refers to ‘that which awaits disclosure or interpretation.’ In the Catholic church the Latin term is mysterium fidei, ‘mystery of faith.’ defined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church to mean a mystery hidden in God, which can never be known unless revealed by God.”
This concept of mystery underlies the Quire concerts in a joyous, rather than a solemn, sense. It is presented to us to us rather like what Archbishop Laud called “The beauty of Holiness.”
Tickets to these concerts are $20 general, $15 for students and seniors. They are available at the door, or by phone from the Garvin Theatre box office 805-965-5935.
For more information on this or other Quire of Voyces concerts, performances and workshops, visit quireofvoyces.org or https://www.facebook.com/quireofvoyces/.
— Gerald Carpenter covers the arts as a Noozhawk contributing writer. He can be reached at gerald.carpenter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are his own.