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Celebrate the spirit and joy of Christmas with the Great Bridge Presbyterian Church’s gift to the community.
The church at 333 Cedar Road invites all of Chesapeake to its annual Festival of Lessons and Carols at either 9:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. Dec. 15. There is no admission charge, and one does not have to be a member of the congregation to attend. A nursery will be provided.
The service will feature Scripture rendered by guest readers laced with carols and seasonal hymns performed by the church’s Chancel Choir, Junior Choir and Alleluia Ringers backed by members of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra all conducted by church Music Director Billye Brown Youmans, also a member of the Virginia Wesleyan University music faculty.
This annual Christmastime service is a variation of the 19th century Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, which is about Scripture and song. "Each lesson is followed by a carol or other song that reflects on the lesson’s message and a brief prayer,” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website.
The festival has become a well-attended Christmas service, Youmans said in an email. This year’s will also present an iconic Christmas carol.
“This popular service typically enjoys an audience of approximately 1,000 people each year,” she wrote. “It has become a cherished tradition. This marks the 300th anniversary of the much beloved carol, ‘Joy to the World.’”
The Chancel Choir will sing an arrangement of the well-known and historic carol created by internationally known composer, pianist, conductor and music teacher John Leavitt.
His music has been performed in 30 countries around the globe, according to his website, johnleavittmusic.com. He’s a lifetime member of the American Choral Directors Association and a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He’s conducted or performed at a variety of major venues including Carnegie Hall in New York City and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. He’s also served as artistic director for the National Capitol Choral Festival in Washington, D.C.
For more information, call 547-4706 or visit gbpres.org.
CHRISTMAS DURING WARTIME
How did either side of the Civil War celebrate Christmas? How was the holiday observed by civilians during the war?
Find out at the December meeting and public program of the Hampton Roads Civil War Round Table at 7 p.m. Dec. 12 at the group’s headquarters, the Chesapeake Central Library, 298 Cedar Road.
The program is free and open to the public. One does not have to be a HRCWRT member to attend.
This month Teri Toepke — director of Learning Odysseys at the College of William and Mary and a Civil War interpreter and historian — will present the topic, “Civil War Christmas: In the Field and On the Home Front.”
See how families observed the holiday during these troubled times. Learn about American Christmas traditions from the mid-19th century and how Johnny Reb and Billy Yank celebrated Yuletide.
For more details, visit tinyurl.com/srs7hxb or call 757-482-1984.
SOUTH NORFOLK CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS
Join the Woman’s Club of South Norfolk for a grand Christmas celebration during its annual Holiday Home Tour — themed this year as “Our Home” — from 3-7 p.m. Dec. 14.
Participants will be given a list of the tour stops for this self-guided holiday trek at the event depot, the Living Water Church of God, 1300 Jackson Ave.
The visitations will include stops at three seasonally decorated historic homes and a sweet tour of South Norfolk’s historic H.E. Williams Candy Co., founded in 1919 and currently run by Williams’ grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Still employing century-old methods, the factory at 1230 Perry St. makes Peach Buds, Coconut Tri-Colors, Hot Rocks, Christmas Fancy Mix and watermelon, mint, spearmint, blueberry and vanilla flavored sweets.
Tickets, available at the depot, are $10 for adults and $5 for ages 6-11. Those 5 and younger are free. The club will also sell raffle tickets, baked goods, holiday crafts and historic calendars with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit’s scholarship program and community service projects.
The tour will also stop at the South Norfolk Memorial Library, 801 Poindexter St., as it celebrates the free Holiday Tree Gala on Dec. 14.
The free library celebration and party will feature a crop of holiday trees designed and decorated by the community. Participants will also enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, a visit from Santa, children’s crafts and carols, and seasonal music performed by the Young Musicians of America. Hot cider and cookies will sell for $2 from 1-5 p.m.
For more details about the Holiday Tree Gala, call 410-7052.
A STAR! A STAR!
“When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.”
— Matthew 2:9 (King James Version)
Weekend Scoop
The Christmas Star, aka The Star of Bethlehem, is mentioned in the Bible in the Gospel of Matthew. It was purported to have heralded the coming of the Messiah.
Did it really exist? And what was it? A bright star? A comet? A meteor? A supernova? Or the planet Jupiter?
Find out at 8 p.m. every Thursday this month as the Chesapeake Planetarium, 310 Shea Drive, presents “The Christmas Star” for its monthly public program.
Planetarium Director Robert Hitt will take the audience back more than 2,000 years to gaze at the ancient night sky in search of the star. He’ll also examine what that sky phenomenon could have been.
Admission is free, but reservations are necessary. Call 547-0153 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays to save a spot.
And hurry, this popular program fills up every year.
— Eric W. Feber, ewjfeber@gmail.com