For the nineteenth consecutive year, the Catawba College Department of Music will present its annual Christmas Choral Concert, A Service of Lessons and Carols, Tuesday and Thursday, December 5 and December 7, in the Omwake-Dearborn Chapel on campus. For Rosemary C. Kinard, director of choral ensembl...

For the nineteenth consecutive year, the Catawba College Department of Music will present its annual Christmas Choral Concert, A Service of Lessons and Carols, Tuesday and Thursday, December 5 and December 7, in the Omwake-Dearborn Chapel on campus. 

For Rosemary C. Kinard, director of choral ensembles at the College, this year's services will be bittersweet for they mark the final time that she will direct this program. Kinard will enter phased retirement next academic year after 20 years at the institution. Although she will continue to teach classes, work with Catawba's sacred music majors and offer private voice lessons, she will not be in charge of this massive musical undertaking which has played to full houses in recent years due to the high level of community interest.

"I never would have imagined that it would have become such a big event," Kinard said. "I was looking for something meaningful for the choirs that would also involve the College community, and a "Lessons and Carols" service does that. I didn't realize then that it would impact the larger community so much as well. Now, it has become a true college-community event."

The event has become so popular in the area, in fact, that Our State magazine chose to feature Catawba's Service of Lessons and Carols in its December 2006 edition in an article written by Catawba alumna Wanda Duncan '81.

Kinard also serves as associate parish musician at St. John's Lutheran Church and says that serving in that role will take on new significance as she phases out her choral work at Catawba. "I'm not really stopping, I'm just changing roles," she explained.

Prelude music will begin each night at 6:30 p.m., with the Choral Procession starting at 7:00 p.m. Participants include the Catawba Chorale, Madrigals, and Singers, as well as the Catawba Brass, the Catawba Handbell Ensemble and alumna April Naylor, flautist.  Special guests once again will be the St. John's Men's Chorus. New on the program this year is harpist Carla Mitchell who will be featured during the prelude.

Additionally, former members of the choral ensembles, which Kinard has directed over the past 19 years, have been invited to attend the service on Thursday, Dec. 7 and join the current Catawba choir members in singing "Arise, Your Light Has Come" during the processional.
 
The service is based on the famous ritual that originated at King's College in Cambridge, England, which weaves beautiful carols of the season with scriptures or lessons, relating to the story of Christmas from the prophecies to the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Some of the carols this year include the beautiful "O Magnum Mysterium," "Deo Gracias," "Comfort, Comfort Ye My People," "The Glory of the Father", and "Joy to the World."  Readers are members of the Catawba community, with the final scripture lesson to be read by Catawba President Dr. Robert E. Knott. Liturgist will be Dr. Kenneth Clapp, senior vice-president and chaplain of the College.
 
Tickets for assured seating are available now by calling (704) 637-4394 between 1 and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Although admission is free, it will be by ticket only until 6:40 p.m. each evening. After 6:40 p.m., seating will be open, if space is still available.

Shuttle service will be offered beginning at 5:30 p.m. each evening from the Robertson College-Community Center, the Ketner Hall and the Shuford Stadium parking lots on campus. After each performance, the shuttle service will also be available to return guests to their vehicles.

For the nineteenth consecutive year, the Catawba College Department of Music will present its annual Christmas Choral Concert, A Service of Lessons and Carols, Tuesday and Thursday, December 5 and December 7, in the Omwake-Dearborn Chapel on campus. For Rosemary C. Kinard, director of choral ensembl...

For the nineteenth consecutive year, the Catawba College Department of Music will present its annual Christmas Choral Concert, A Service of Lessons and Carols, Tuesday and Thursday, December 5 and December 7, in the Omwake-Dearborn Chapel on campus. 

For Rosemary C. Kinard, director of choral ensembles at the College, this year's services will be bittersweet for they mark the final time that she will direct this program. Kinard will enter phased retirement next academic year after 20 years at the institution. Although she will continue to teach classes, work with Catawba's sacred music majors and offer private voice lessons, she will not be in charge of this massive musical undertaking which has played to full houses in recent years due to the high level of community interest.

"I never would have imagined that it would have become such a big event," Kinard said. "I was looking for something meaningful for the choirs that would also involve the College community, and a "Lessons and Carols" service does that. I didn't realize then that it would impact the larger community so much as well. Now, it has become a true college-community event."

The event has become so popular in the area, in fact, that Our State magazine chose to feature Catawba's Service of Lessons and Carols in its December 2006 edition in an article written by Catawba alumna Wanda Duncan '81.

Kinard also serves as associate parish musician at St. John's Lutheran Church and says that serving in that role will take on new significance as she phases out her choral work at Catawba. "I'm not really stopping, I'm just changing roles," she explained.

Prelude music will begin each night at 6:30 p.m., with the Choral Procession starting at 7:00 p.m. Participants include the Catawba Chorale, Madrigals, and Singers, as well as the Catawba Brass, the Catawba Handbell Ensemble and alumna April Naylor, flautist.  Special guests once again will be the St. John's Men's Chorus. New on the program this year is harpist Carla Mitchell who will be featured during the prelude.

Additionally, former members of the choral ensembles, which Kinard has directed over the past 19 years, have been invited to attend the service on Thursday, Dec. 7 and join the current Catawba choir members in singing "Arise, Your Light Has Come" during the processional.
 
The service is based on the famous ritual that originated at King's College in Cambridge, England, which weaves beautiful carols of the season with scriptures or lessons, relating to the story of Christmas from the prophecies to the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Some of the carols this year include the beautiful "O Magnum Mysterium," "Deo Gracias," "Comfort, Comfort Ye My People," "The Glory of the Father", and "Joy to the World."  Readers are members of the Catawba community, with the final scripture lesson to be read by Catawba President Dr. Robert E. Knott. Liturgist will be Dr. Kenneth Clapp, senior vice-president and chaplain of the College.
 
Tickets for assured seating are available now by calling (704) 637-4394 between 1 and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Although admission is free, it will be by ticket only until 6:40 p.m. each evening. After 6:40 p.m., seating will be open, if space is still available.

Shuttle service will be offered beginning at 5:30 p.m. each evening from the Robertson College-Community Center, the Ketner Hall and the Shuford Stadium parking lots on campus. After each performance, the shuttle service will also be available to return guests to their vehicles.