The Hand Bell Ensemble of the Golden Gates Worldwide Ministries will join The Highgrove Singers to ring in Christmas in the city for the traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, a service of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Jesus is traditionally followed at Christmas. The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns and choir music. The format was based on an order drawn up by Edward Benson, later Archbishop of Canterbury, but at that time Bishop of Truro in Cornwall, for use on Christmas Eve 1880. Tradition says that he organized a 10 p.m. service on Christmas Eve in a temporary wooden structure serving as his cathedral. The purpose of the service was to keep men out of the pubs.
The Highgrove Singers will be under the direction of Adrian A.W. Archer. They will present three pieces at the start of the Carol Service -- Waldrop's "The Little Drummer Boy," Dobrinski's "Silver Bells" and Sherman's arrangement of the "Ukranian Carol of the Bells."
"Our group is thrilled to have been asked to come to the Cathedral once again to play at the carol service," said Gibson. Christmas in the city will be rung in on Sunday, December 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral.
As to the rest of choral music, the singers will wander through Christmas music across the centuries. The service begins and ends with motets by the 16th century composer G. F. Palestrina. Between the motets they will present the music of P.I Tchaikovsky, Malcom Archer, Susan Boersma, John Tavener, Faye Lopez, Mack Wilberg, Howard Helvey, Dan Forrest and a jazz-inspired version of the Ravenscroft "Remember, O Thou Man" by the English composer Bob Chilcott. Accompanying the choir will be Yvonne Foulkes and Raymond Antonio on piano and organ and Cathy Jirjhakle on Violin."
Archer said they were pleased to have the Hand Bell Ensemble, which will be under the direction of Navarro Gibson once again.
"The group is so competent and musical and they help explore the rich repertoire of music for voices and bells. In fact one of the more modern pieces for the carol service is entitled "Winter Solstice Carol" by William Beckstrand, which is a challenging piece for bells and double choir," he said.
Readers of the Lessons for the Carol Service include Governor-General Dame Marguerite Pindling; Archdeacon of the East Central Archdeaconry in the Diocese of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, G. Kingsley Knowles; Ellison Thompson, deputy director general of tourism; Tonya Bastian Galanis, principal of the Eugene Dupuch Law School; Darville Walkine, director of The Bahamas Christian Chorale; Valerie Gaitor, director of communications, Ministry of Education; Andrew Knowles; Britany Burrows and Aaron Humes as well as members of the Cathedral's children's choir. Dr. Sparkman Ferguson will play the organ.
Admission to the service is free, an offering will be taken.

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