A Figgy Pudding Christmas
Twenty-third Annual PACC Christmas Concert and Carol Sing
By Kathleen Fink
Honoring the wonderful music and traditions of England, the PACC Christmas Concert presents “A Figgy Pudding Christmas” on Sunday, December 8th at 3 PM. The location is the Sanctuary of the Park Avenue Congregational Church at 50 Paul Revere Road, in Arlington Heights. Special treats will be provided at an artists’ reception in the Parish Hall following the concert. Donations will be taken in lieu of tickets with all proceeds benefiting the Church’s Organ Restoration and Music Program Fund.
The music you will hear was carefully selected from many options to display the richness and depth of this marvelous tradition. Lively and interesting arrangements are mingled with compositions of simplicity and grace, and as you might expect, selections from Handel’s Messiah are included. While the overall flavor is traditional, some selections are more modern as with the lovely “Lullay My Liking” which was composed by Gustav Holst in 1919.
Joining the PACC Festival Choir, and PACC Youth Choir in the performance will be PACC’s Artists in Residence Jeffrey Brody (organ, Choir Director), Andrea Hart (flute, Youth Choir Director), and Vox Lucens (A Capella Renaissance music). The audience is invited to join in singing several well-known English carols to open and close the concert.
Our newest Artist in Residence, Vox Lucens, is a small vocal ensemble led by Jay Lane. They came together in 1998 to explore the Renaissance a capella repertoire. In performance, they enjoy bringing out the dramatic aspects in the music. The choice of the name Vox Lucens, Latin for “a shining voice,” reflects not only the ensemble sound but also their desire to shed light on the wide variety of styles and textures of the Renaissance repertoire.
PACC is blessed with two outstanding musicians who serve both as staff and Artists in Residence. Jeffrey Brody is well known for his outstanding keyboard musicianship, compositions, work coaching Met-level opera singers, as well as being Music Director of Longwood Opera. Andrea Hart has performed with numerous groups as pianist, flutist, and singer, and is on the music faculty of the Cambridge Friends School. She will be performing in the final PACC concert this season with the Mudville Madrigal Singers in May.
The PACC Concert Series supports organ restoration and maintenance as well as the music program at the Park Avenue Congregational Church. It was started twenty-three years ago when the Music Committee undertook the task of restoring the Church’s historic Skinner organ. The series showcases the talent of musicians performing in a wide range of styles from classical vocal and instrumental music, to folk and jazz coffeehouses.
For more information on the PACC Concert Series, please call the Church Office at 781-643-8680 or visit the Church’s website at www.pacc-ucc.org/events/concertseries. Most days, the office is closed in the afternoon, but messages may be left on the Church’s answering machine. The Church is located on the corner of Park Avenue and Paul Revere Road (one block from Mass. Avenue in Arlington Heights), is handicapped-accessible and on MBTA bus route 77.