GUILFORD — “O, Happy Yule!,” Friends of Music at Guilford's 44th annual holiday program at Christ Church, the iconic New England landmark off Route 5 in the Algiers section of Guilford, is set for Dec. 16 and 17.
Performances on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday at 4 p.m. will include vocal music, instrumental interludes, a holiday story, and a brief carol sing, the traditional format.
The “O, Happy Yule!” subtitle refers to this season's thematic choice of music from the British Isles.
The Guilford Chamber Singers, under the direction of Tom Baehr for a fifth season, present 10 a cappella seasonal songs from England, Ireland, and Wales. These span several centuries and are interspersed with instrumental selections played by Amy Cann, Amara Cunningham, and other Guilford Chamber Players on winds and strings.
Highlights of the song collection include Gustav Holst's arrangement of poet Christina Rossetti's “In the Bleak Midwinter”; William Blake's poem “The Lamb,” set by contemporary composer Philip Orem; and the early 20th-century “Past Three O'Clock,” based on a watchman's nighttime cry and arranged a few years ago by Clif Hardin.
Traditional Irish and Welsh lullabies are a tender counterpoint to Alice Parker Pyle and Robert Shaw's dynamic arrangement of the English carol “The Holly and the Ivy,” which rounds out the choral offerings.
The Chamber Singers include sopranos Catie Berg, Christina Gibbons, and Robin Wolf; altos Jenny Holan, Laurie Schneski, and Joy Wallens-Penford; tenors Paul Cooper, Steven John, and Peter Tracy; and basses Peter Abell, Orion Barber, Calvin Farwell, and Tom Green.
Don McLean, featured reader at these gatherings since the outset, is eager to introduce the Friends of Music audience to “A Church Mouse” by prominent American author Mary Wilkins Freeman (1852-1930).
Chiefly known for her characterization of life in New England, Freeman was a resident of Brattleboro from the age of 15 to 21, and graduated from Brattleboro High School.
Despite the story's title, which might lead one to assume it involves a furry little protagonist, “A Church Mouse” is about a woman who finds herself suddenly homeless and has to figure out how to cope, a situation faced by many in Windham County.
Following the story, Amy Cann will wrangle the corner pump organ for three carols before the tolling tower bell signals the evening's close.
Because the building's furnace needs to be turned off during these performances, the overall length will be less than an hour and a half. Dress warmly and consider bringing a lap blanket if the weather is especially cold.
Admission is free, but generous door donations are encouraged, since they will be divided between Friends of Music and the Christ Church Preservation Fund for the church's maintenance and heating costs.
The charming “Carolling Mice” graphic used on posters for this year's holiday program was used by permission of the artist, Shona M. MacDonald, a resident of Newcastle upon Tyne in England.
The mice will also be available on blank greeting cards for sale in the holiday boutique. Other winter card designs, including William Hays' prints of Christ Church and Centre Church in Brattleboro, as well as some CDs and totes, will also be available.