Submitted photo A segment of the Beecher Singers and Orchestra slated to perform Dec. 22 in concert at St. Paul Lutheran Church.
St. Paul Lutheran Church has once again invited the Beecher Singers and Orchestra from Second Presbyterian Church for a Christmas performance on Dec. 22, marking a nine-year collaboration.
The free concert will be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 6045 E. State St., Columbus.
Based out of Indianapolis, the Beecher Singers are a professional, auditioned chamber choir at the Second Presbyterian Church, consisting of both Indianapolis residents and students from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Dr. Michelle Louer, director of Music and Fine Arts at Second Presbyterian Church, said the group is a great outlet for them to be a part of the church’s music ministry.
According to St. Paul volunteer John Sasse, the collaboration came about somewhat informally when he and his wife asked the Beecher Singers at one of their concerts if they would like to perform at the church. Louer said the previous group who performed in St. Paul’s Christmas concerts could no longer perform, which led to her and Sasse collaborating to bring the Beecher Singers to Columbus.
“… and it was just such a positive experience for both us and for the congregation. They just loved it and we loved doing it, and it’s become a community tradition that the church hosts,” Louer said. “It’s a free concert, so anyone can come. And that’s also a lovely thing to offer the community as well, the gift of music, and oftentimes that comes with a ticket price and this doesn’t. It’s a way that St. Paul shares their ministry with the community.”
The night will begin with a harp prelude at 6:40 p.m. before the concert begins at 7 p.m. This year’s performance features various settings of Christmas carols from around the world like “What Child is This,” and traditional carols like “The First Noel,” according to Louer. The concert also includes a sing-a-long portion including “Joy to the World” and “O Come All Ye Faithful,” a soloist performance of a piece from Bach and a performance by the choir of “Christmas Day” by Gustav Holst. In addition to vocals, the concert will include a string quintet, harp and flute performed by colleagues of the Beecher Singers, as well as organist Dr. John Allegar who will be playing St. Paul’s organ.
“… St. Paul’s has a lovely organ and so we’ll include that as well. And… we’re starting the concert with some handbells around the room,” Louer said. “So, it’s really quite a varied kind of concert and just using the whole space ….”
As the music selection changes every year, Louer said she tries to mix it up to give each concert a different shape. She said this year is a combination of previous years’ selections with familiar carols and newer music.
Louer said they try to create a lot of variety within their selections as different kinds of music speaks to different people, and music from this time of year has an emotional connection to many people. By choosing a variety of music, Louer said she hopes to encompass all the beauty, depth of emotion and expression present this time of year.
“And in the beautiful acoustic space that is St. Paul’s, it just feels like such an intimate experience that all of those feelings, both the joy and the celebration and the excitement, the anticipation and the sorrow sometimes that can all be encompassed within that space and within the music that we’re doing,” Louer said.
Sasse said the concert is a great experience for music, and Louer said this concert is one of the group’s favorite concerts that they do. As this is a hustling time of year, she said the concert is a time to recenter one’s self as they sit and listen to seasonal soothing music before Christmas Eve.
“It’s just taking a pause in the middle of the season to just be quiet and think about all that Christmas means to people,” Louer said. “For people of faith, it’s the birth of Christ, but everybody has a special connection to the Christmas season and I think they would just enjoy the variety of music. There’s joyful music, there’s meditative music, there’s instrumental music. I mean, it’s just going to be a beautiful concert in a beautiful space.”
