Anxious? Frustrated?? Depressed and scared by the content of the daily news cycle? Looking for a way to feel calm and relaxed??
The holidays are fast approaching and whatever you celebrate, this time of year always adds an element of stress to our daily lives. After the past several years, we are all striving to find the “new normal”, and added stress is not what we need as we enter into this joyful season. Queen Anne’s Chorale, however, has a solution! Their annual holiday concert on December 3rd and 4th is entitled “Peace and Harmony”, and will feature serene and quiet music, along with traditional holiday favorites to get you into the spirit and help calm jangled nerves. One of the beautiful pieces being offered is Felix Mendelssohn’s “How Lovely Are the Messengers”, a hauntingly lovely song whose couriers preach “the gospel of peace” from his famous oratorio Saint Paul. “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is based on the 1863 poem “Christmas Bells’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, that tells of Christmas bells being heard during the American Civil War. The carol concludes with the bells ringing out that there will ultimately be “…peace on earth, good will to men”. Artistic Director Bob Huntington noted that singers have fallen in love with a fresh setting of the Gaelic Blessing called “Deep Peace” by Bill Douglas. The text is a kind of litany wishing for the recipient the deep peace of “running waves,” “flowing air,” “quiet earth,” “shining stars”, “gentle night”, and “healing light”.
The Select Ensemble, a group of auditioned singers from the Chorale’s ranks, will offer several pieces that will delight the audience with holiday music. Guest artist Heather Fullerton will play flute. The audience will be invited to join in the sing-along portion of the concert, which is always a favorite. A light reception will follow the concert.
The concerts will be performed at Centreville United Methodist Church located at 608 Church Hill Road, Centreville, on Saturday, December 3 at 7pm, and again on Sunday, December 4 at 3pm. Tickets are available at the door and are $20 for adults, with children through high school admitted free. For more information, go to www.qachorale.org.
Queen Anne’s Chorale is supported in part through grants from the United Way of Queen Anne’s County, the Queen Anne’s County Centre for the Arts, and the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive.