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Fauré Requiem and Peter Hamlin Darkness and Light at St. Stephen’s Middlebury

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 3 Main Street, Middlebury, VT. Monday, November 3, at 7:00 pm.

The Choir of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church conducted by Robert Ludwig will sing the world premiere of Darkness and Light, a new composition by Middlebury College professor emeritus Peter Hamlin and Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem in the context of a Requiem Eucharist offered in memory of All Faithful Departed. All are welcome to attend this special service to remember departed loved ones. The choir, soloists Wendy Taylor, soprano and Blair Jia, baritone, will be accompanied by Burlington’s Skylark string ensemble and organ.

There is no admission charge, but a freewill offering will be received at the service to support the music program at St. Stephen’s. 

December Advent Thursday Noontime Concerts in Middlebury

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on the Green, 3 Main Street, Middlebury, VT, will sponsor a series of free noontime concerts on Thursdays, December 4, 11 and 18 at 12 noon. The first two will feature the church’s 1875 Johnson & Son 1875 pipe organ, celebrating its 150th birthday this year! On December 4, Robert Ludwig, Director of Music at St. Stephen’s, will play Advent and Christmas music of César Franck, Marcel Dupré, J.S. Bach, and British composer Andrew Carter. On December  11, Lynette Combs of Montpelier will play seasonal music of Bach, Berlioz, and the German mid-20th century composer, Hugo Distler. On December 18, Robert Ludwig will present Christmas in the Air – A Community Carol Sing of Favorite Sacred and Secular Songs of the Season. Ludwig, who has taught numerous courses in the history of church music, will share interesting and entertaining stories of the background of favorite carols.

Darkness to Light: A Preparation for Christmas at St. Stephen’s, Middlebury

On Sunday, December 14 at 4:00 pm, the Choir of St. Stephen’s Church on the Green, Middlebury, will offer Darkness to Light: A Preparation for Christmas with Lessons and Carols. The event is free and the public is cordially invited to experience this unique service offered as we approach the winter solstice and the longest night of the year. Throughout history, the Church has kept the season of Advent as a time with a mixture of both solemnity and rejoicing, and has often used candlelight as a symbol of hope in a world that has dark moments.

This presentation of Darkness to Light was developed and used at the great English Cathedral at Salisbury and at St. James Episcopal Cathedral in Chicago. Its goal is to capture that ancient Advent spirit of longing and hope. It begins in darkness and, as the service unfolds, the church is transformed from darkness to light. It is structured around the 6th century “Great O” Antiphons (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel), readings from the Old and New Testaments, and choir anthems and carols ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century. Music by J.S. Bach, Palestrina, Christopher Aspaas, Rosephanye Powell, Philip Moore, Otto Goldschmidt, Paul Edwards, Sally Beamish, Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, and Paul Manz.