presents A Seraphic Fire Christmas ANTHONY TRECEK-KING, CONDUCTOR
December 7-19, 2024
A Seraphic Fire Christmas 2024
Sat, Dec 7, 2024 | 7:30 pm | St. Sophia Greek Orthodox, Miami
Sun, Dec 8, 2024 | 7:00 pm | Saint Boniface, Sarasota
Mon, Dec 9, 2024 | 7:00 pm | Moorings Presbyterian, Naples
Wed, Dec 11, 2024 | 7:30 pm | Kravis Center, West Palm Beach
Fri, Dec 13, 2024 | 8:00 pm | Church of the Little Flower, Coral Gables
Sat, Dec 14, 2024 | 8:00 pm | Sanctuary Church, Ft. Lauderdale
Sun, Dec 15, 2024 | 4:00 pm | The Moss Center, Miami
Thu, Dec 19, 2024 | 8:00 pm | Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, Aventura
Anthony Trecek-King, conductor
Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow Traditional, arr. Roland Carter (b. 1942)
Once in Royal David’s City Matthew Culloton (b. 1976)
Adeste Fideles / O Come All Ye Faithful John Francis Wade (1711-1786), arr. Patrick Dupre Quigley (b. 1977)
Ave Maria R. Nathaniel Dett (1881-1943)
There Stood In Heaven a Linden Tree
George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848-1934), arr. Susan LaBarr (b. 1981)
Solstice Taylor Scott Davis (b.1980)
O Magnum Mysterium
Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
Mary Had A Baby Traditional, arr. Stacey Gibbs (b.1962)
Away in a Manger William J. Kirkpatrick (1838-1921), arr. Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978)
The Flight Richard Causton (b. 1971)
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
Season of Light
See That Star!
Elizabeth Poston (1905–1987)
Jacob Narverud (b.1986)
Victor C. Johnson (b. 1978)
Silent Night Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863), arr. Quigley
Made possible by the Meredyth Anne Dasburg Foundation.
Soprano
Emma Beers (12/19)
Jane Long (12/7-12/18)
Elijah McCormack
Hannah Penzner (12/9-12/19)
Maia Sumanaweera
Maura Tuffy (12/7-12/9)
Alto Alexandra Colaizzi
Doug Dodson
William Duffy
Tenor
Brad Diamond
David Pelino
Rohan Ramanan Bass
Jared Jones
Lovell Rose
Malek Sammour
Anthony Trecek-King, conductor
To read full artist bios, scan the QR code below or visit SeraphicFire.org/Artists
Rise Up Shepherd
Traditional, arr. Roland Carter (b. 1942)
There’s a star in the East on Christmas morn, Rise up, shepherd, and follow, It will lead to the place where the Savior’s born, Rise up, shepherd, and follow.
Leave your sheep and leave your lamb. Rise up, shepherd, and follow.
Take good heed to the angel’s words, Rise up, shepherd, and follow.
Leave your flock and leave your herd. Rise up, shepherd, and follow.
Follow the Star of Bethlehem, Rise up, shepherd, and follow.
Once in Royal David’s City arr. Matthew Culloton (b. 1976)
Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed, where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed: Mary was that Mother mild; Jesus Christ, her little child.
He came down to earth from heaven who is God and Lord of all, and his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall. With the poor, and mean, and lowly, lived on earth our Savior holy.
For he is our childhood’s pattern, day by day like us he grew. He was little, weak and helpless; tears and smiles like us he knew; and he feeleth for our sadness, and he shareth in our gladness.
And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love; for that child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heaven above. And he leads his children on to the place where he is gone.
Adeste Fideles / O Come All Ye Faithful
John Francis Wade (1711-1786), arr. Patrick Dupre Quigley
Adeste fideles, laeti triumphantes; Venite, venite in Bethlehem; Natum videte regem angelorum.
Venite, adoremus Dominum.
En grege relicto, humiles ad cunas, vocatis pastores approperant. Et nos ovanti gradu festinemus. Venite, adoremus Dominum.
O Come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, Come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Come, and behold Him, born the King of Angels;
O Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
And leaving their flocks, humbly The shepherds approach his cradle. And we hurry to sing before his throne. O Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
Ave Maria
R. Nathaniel Dett (1881-1943)
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum; Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou amongst women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
There Stood In Heaven a Linden Tree
George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848-1934), arr. Susan LaBarr (b. 1981)
There stood in heaven a linden tree, But, though ‘twas honey-laden, The angels cried: “No bloom shall be Like that of one fair maiden.”
Sped Gabriel on winged feet, And passed through bolted portals In Nazareth, a maid to greet, Blessed o’er all other mortals.
“Hail Mary!” cried the angel mild, “Of womankind the fairest: A maiden ay shalt thou be styled, Although a babe thou barest.”
“But how should I a mother be While yet a maid remaining?
No man with love hath looked on me: ‘Tis strange past all explaining!”
“Most noble queen, no man on earth Shall share in thy conceiving: Thou shalt by God be brought to birth, The Holy Ghost receiving.”
“So be it!” God’s handmaid gan cry, “According to thy telling.” To heaven the angel then did fly, To his celestial dwelling.
This news filled all the heavens with glee: ‘Twas passed from one to other That ‘twas Mary, and none but she, That God would call his mother.
Solstice
Taylor Scott Davis (b.1980)
Text by Milton Brasher-Cunningham
come sit in the dark with me and look at that moon that is so at home in the night let us reach deep into the pockets of our souls for scraps of hope and wonder
come gaze at the firefly stars sing softly into this silent night oh that we had a ladder to make a constellation of ourselves a consolation of ourselves come sit in the dark with me
O Magnum Mysterium
Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
O magnum mysterium et admirabile sacramentum, ut animalia viderent Dominum natum jacentem in praesepio.
O beata Virgo, cujus viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Jesum Christum. Alleluia!
Mary Had A Baby
arr. Stacey Gibbs (b.1962)
Mary had a baby, my Lord, Mary had a baby, oh yes.
Where was He born?
He was born in a manger bare. Mary had a baby, He was called King Jesus, Mary had a baby.
What did they call him?
My Lord, Mary had a baby, He was called King Jesus, Mary had a baby.
He had nowhere to lay His head.
Mary had a baby,
He was called Emmanuel, Mary had a baby, He was called the Prince of Peace, Mary had a baby, He was called King Jesus, Mary had a baby.
Mary had a baby, He is called the King of Kings, He’s the mighty Counselor, He is called Emmanuel, my Lord.
O great mystery and wonderful sacrament, that the animals should see the newborn Lord lying in a manger.
O blessed Virgin, whose womb was worthy to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!
Away in a Manger
arr. Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978)
Away in a manger, No crib for His bed, The little Lord Jesus, Laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky Looked down where He lay, The little Lord Jesus Asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, The poor Baby wakes, But little Lord Jesus No crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus Look down from the sky And stay by my side, Until morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay Close by me forever And love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children In thy tender care And take us to heaven To live with Thee there.
The Flight
Richard Causton (b. 1971)
Text by George Szirtes
The child on the dirt path finds the highway blocked The dogs at the entrance snarl that doors are locked
The great god of kindness has his kindness mocked
May those who travel light
Find shelter on the flight: May Bethlehem
Give rest to them.
The sea is a graveyard the beach is dry bones the child at the station is pelted with stones the cop stands impassive the ambulance drones
May those who travel light
Find shelter on the flight:
May Bethlehem
Give rest to them.
We sleep then awaken we rest on the way our sleep might be troubled but hope is our day we move on for ever like children astray
We move on for ever our feet leave no mark you won’t hear our voices once we’re in the dark But here is our fire this Child is our spark
May those who travel light
Find shelter on the flight: May Bethlehem Give rest to them.
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
Elizabeth Poston (1905–1987)
The tree of life my soul hath seen Laden with fruit and always green The trees of nature fruitless be Compared with Christ the apple tree.
His beauty doth all things excel: By faith I know but ne’er can tell The glory which I now can see In Jesus Christ the apple tree.
For happiness I long have sought And pleasure dearly I have bought: I missed of all but now I see ‘Tis found in Christ the apple tree.
I’m weary with my former toil, Here I will sit and rest a while: Under the shadow I will be Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.
This fruit does make my soul to thrive, It keeps my dying faith alive; Which makes my soul in haste to be With Jesus Christ the apple tree.
Season of Light
Jacob Narverud (b.1986)
Come sit by the fire and share stories of old, bright visions of time and of wonders we’re told.
Surrounded by comfort and stillness of night, we live in the memories of the season of light.
Come join in the cheer of the fresh falling snow, where wonder and radiance set hearts all aglow.
For a moment on Earth all that’s wrong turns to right and we’re warm in the spirit of the season of light.
See that Star! arr. Victor C. Johnson (b. 1978)
Behold that star! Behold that star up yonder! Behold that star! It is the star of Bethlehem. See that star of Bethlehem!
There was no room found in the inn, for Him Who was born free from sin. Wise Men traveled from the East, to worship Him, the Prince of Peace.
As the star sent forth its light, as it gleamed so bright from the highest height, a song broke forth upon the night and the star continued to beam so bright!
O see that star of Bethlehem!
Silent Night
Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863), arr. Quigley
Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute heilige Paar. Holder Knabe im lokkigten Haar, Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!
Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright ‘Round yon virgin Mother and Child. Holy infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight, Glories stream from Heaven afar, Heav’nly hosts sing Alleluia; Christ the Saviour is born.
