O Great Mystery
A Symphonic Christmas Concert
With the Montview Choirs and Orchestra
December 3, 2023 • 4:00pm
Adam Waite, Minister of Music and Conductor
Yinying Luo, Associate Minister of Music
Becki Taylor, Minister of Children’s Music
Heidi Shriver, Music Ministry Administrator
Welcome
Rev. Ian Cummins, Co-Pastor
Prologue, from Hodie
Ralph Vaughan-Williams (1872-1958)
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
Hodie Christus natus est: hodie salvator apparuit.
Hodie in terra canunt angeli, laetantur archangeli.
Hodie exultant justi, dicentes: gloria in excelsis Deo: Alleluia.
Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!
Today Christ is born: Today the Savior appeared.
Today on Earth the Angels sing, Archangels rejoice.
Today the righteous rejoice, saying: Glory to God in the highest: Alleluia.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
arr. Arthur Harris (1927-1992)
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King:
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic hosts proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
(Refrain)
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King”
Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel. (Refrain)
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give us second birth. (Refrain)
Somewhere In My Memory
John Williams (b.1932)
Candles in the window,
Shadows painting the ceiling,
Gazing at the fireglow,
Feeling that gingerbread feeling.
Precious moments, special people
Happy faces I can see.
Somewhere in my memory,
Christmas joys all around me
Living in my memory
All of the music,
All of the magic,
All of the family
Home here with me.
Somewhere in my memory…
All of the music, All of the magic,
All of the family, home here with me.
Glory (Let There Be Peace)
Chris Stevens, Matt Maher & Rachel Popadic
One star burns in the darkness
Shines with the promise, Emmanuel
One child born in the stillness
Living within us, Emmanuel
(Refrain)
We’re singing glory, glory
Let there be peace, let there be peace
We’re singing glory, glory
Let there be peace, let it start in me
One voice speaks for the voiceless
Hope for the hopeless, Emmanuel
One love brings us together
Now and forever, Emmanuel (Refrain)
Do not be afraid, His love is strong
Enough to save us
Nothing stands in the way
His love is strong enough to lead us (Refrain)
O Come, All Ye Faithful
arr. Dan Forrest (b. 1978)
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
Come, and behold Him, born the King of angels!
(Refrain)
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!
Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation;
Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest! (Refrain)
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing! (Refrain)
How Lovely Are The Messengers
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
How lovely are the messengers
That preach us the gospel of peace.
To all the nations is gone forth the sound of their words,
Throughout all the lands their glad tidings.
Christmas Carol
Charles Ives (1874-1954)
Little star of Bethlehem!
Do we see thee now?
Do we see thee shining o’er the tall trees?
Little Child of Bethlehem
Do we hear Thee in our hearts?
Hear the angels singing:
Peace on earth, goodwill to men! Noel!
O’er the cradle of a King,
Hear the angels sing:
In excelsis gloria, gloria!
From His father’s home on high,
Lo! For us He came to die;
Hear the angels sing:
Venite Adoremus Dominum
Antiphon, from Five Mystical Hymns
Ralph Vaughan-Williams (1872-1958)
Let all the world in every corner sing
My God and King!
The heavens are not too high
His praise may thither fly:
The earth is not too low
His praises there may grow.
Let all the world in every corner sing
My God and King!
The church with Psalms must shout
No door can keep them out:
But above all, the heart
Must bear the longest part.
Let all the world in every corner sing
My God and King!
O Magnum Mysterium
Mark Miller (b. 1967)
Shelley Goldberg, soloist
Sung in Latin
O great mystery,
and wonderful sacrament,
that animals should see the newborn Lord,
lying in a manger!
Blessed is the virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear
the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!
Improvisations on Christmas Carols
Bryan Kelly (b. 1934)
Allegro
Slowly
Allegro, marcato
Jesus Christ, The Apple Tree
Elizabeth Poston (1905-1987)
The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit and always green;
The trees of nature fruitless be,
Compared with Christ the Apple Tree.
His beauty doth all things excel,
By faith I know but ne’er can tell
The glory which I now can see,
In Jesus Christ the Apple Tree.
For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought;
I missed of all but now I see
‘Tis found in Christ the Apple Tree.
I’m weary with my former toil,
Here I will sit and rest awhile,
Under the shadow I will be,
Of Jesus Christ the Apple Tree.
This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the Apple Tree.
The Story of Silent Night
Adam Waite (b. 1978)
Ben Meyerhoff, Narrator
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
arr. Arthur Harris (1927-1992)
ADVENT & CHRISTMAS AT MONTVIEW CHURCH
Advent
Love Unbound: A Service of Remembrance
December 11 | 7:00pm
Sanctuary & Livestream
Service of Lessons and Carols
December 17 | 8:30 and 11:00am
Sanctuary & 11am Livestream
Christmas Tea and Children’s Craft Fair
December 17 | 9:30am
Christmas Eve
11am – 4th Advent Service
2pm – Family Service
Sanctuary & Livestream
4pm – Family Service
6pm – Candlelight
Sanctuary & Livestream
7:15pm – Witness to the Light
Candlelight and music along Montview Blvd
8pm and 10pm – Candlelight
TODAY’S CONCERT PRESENTED IN PART BY THE MONTVIEW SACRED CONCERT FUND
Founded by Conductor and Composer John Kuzma, the Montview Sacred Concert Fund promotes important sacred major concert work repertoire through free annual
performances.
Past concerts include Paul Hindemith’s When Lillacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d, Dvorak: Mass in D and Duke
Ellington’s Sacred Concert.
The fund has also commissioned important new works such as Let The River Flow, a 16-movement jazz mass by Ike Sturm and Chanda Rule, a full orchestral realization of Nancy Galbraith’s Missa Mysterium, and a multitude of works by young composers through the John Kuzma Young Composers Award.
Montview’s Sacred Concert Fund is vital to the continuation of these deeply moving pieces of music. It is only through and with your support that this will happen. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today.
WAYS TO DONATE
By Check / Cash / Credit Card at our Sacred Concert Info Table
Online at Montview.org/giving (select “Sacred Concerts”)
Check by mail (1980 Dahlia St Denver, CO 80220 “Memo: Sacred Concerts”)
MONTVIEW BOULEVARD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
1980 Dahlia Street, Denver, CO 80220
303.355.1651 | www.montview.org