First Lutheran Choir to present Christmas Cantata
By Kate Ruggles
Farmer Staff Writer
The First Lutheran Church Choir is putting on its annual Christmas Cantata on Sunday, Dec. 16, again choosing to perform a work of gifted composer Pepper Choplin.
Choplin is widely celebrated for creating refreshingly different, original anthems that resonate with traditional folk qualities.
The choir, led by Caroline Schwartz, will perform Chopin’s I Hear the Prophet Callin’: The Christmas Story from Prophecy to Fulfillment.
This work was inspired by his best-selling Appalachian-style anthem of the same name. Through his inspiration, Choplin crafted a unique and unusual Christmas Cantata that is familiar and comfortable.
Chopin’s Cantata is calling audiences to approach Christmas as if it were brand new.
He states that we have all sung, read and dramatized the Christmas story year after year, but we need to celebrate it as if the events have just occurred.
“It is not our place to make something new of the Christmas story, but it is our place to tell the true story in a fresh way so the listener will hear it as if for the first time,” Choplin states.
In this cantata, Choplin has called upon the folk styles of Appalachian, Irish, Latin, Cajun and Early American to celebrate the Christmas story.
Schwartz will be directing a choir of 26 members, that include Ann Johnsrud, Cheryl Faulkner, Kris Pacheco, Lisa Shipman, Melanie Rangen, Arianna Kindel, Jeanine Zendejas, Laurie Hamre, Holly Washburn, Joy Patten, Kathleen Beard, Ardyce Alveshere, Hayley Moe, Marlie Heiser, Scott Swenson, Mark Juras, Fitz Villaneuva, Trevor Alveshere, Bruce Erickson, Robin Schwartz, Owen Hamre, Don Stenberg, Ari Johnson, Terry Peterson, Myron Hovet and Tim Taylor.
Dale Washburn and Owen Hamre will be narrating the Cantata and Jane Swenson will accompany the choir on piano. Prelude music will be performed by Jim Christensen and Mike Endrud.
The First Lutheran Church Choir Cantata will begin at 7 p.m., on Sunday, Dec. 16 at the First Lutheran Church in Watford City.
The event is free to the public and everyone is invited. Refreshments will follow the performance.