“Alpha and Omega: The Father’s Love” is the name of the 2021 Festival of Lessons and Carols, Fresno Pacific University’s annual Christmas gift to the community.
The annual service of Scripture passages and seasonal carols returns to face-to-face performance at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Sunday, November 21 in First Congregational Church of Fresno, 2131 N. Van Ness Blvd., Fresno. Tickets are $10 for general audiences and $5 for seniors, students, alumni and FPU faculty and staff.
Tickets are available in advance at eventbrite.com/e/a-festival-of-lessons-and-carols-tickets-169365102581 or at the door. Due to COVID precautions and social distancing, there will be limited seating for each performance, so visitors are encouraged to get tickets early. Masks will be required in the church sanctuary regardless of vaccination status.
Woven from several sources to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, Lessons & Carols tells the story of the promise of the Messiah and the birth of Jesus in nine lessons beginning with Genesis and including the prophetic books of the Bible and the Gospels. The program is based on a Church of England service first performed in 1918 at King’s College, Cambridge University.
Joining in the celebration will be several FPU student ensembles:
- Chamber Winds
- Concert Choir
- Crosswind
- Men’s Chorus
- Pacific Brass
- San Joaquin Chorale
- Symphonic Band
- Women’s Chorale
FPU faculty making the event possible are: Jeffrey Wilson, D.M.A., director of choral activities; George Dougherty, D.M.A., director of bands; Matthew Horton, M.A., piano; Scott Horton, M.A., organ; Christa Pehl Evans, Ph.D., Chamber Winds director; Melita Mudri-Zubacz, M.A., M.M., Crosswind director; Chris Janzen, M.F.A, assistant professor of art and instructor of music; Karen Madden, M.A., instructor of piano and director of keyboard studies; and Tim Johnson, M.A., strings instructor.
Two other FPU music events are planned for the semester:
- A concert by Pacific Brass, the Symphonic Band, the Jazz Band and Crosswind at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 17, in Butler Church, 4884 E. Butler Ave., Fresno. Admission is free.
- An “Evening of Praise & Worship” 7:30 p.m. Monday, November 29, by Crosswind in Butler Church, 4884 E. Butler Ave., Fresno. Admission is free.
For more on any FPU music event, see fresno.edu/events/music or contact the Music Office at music@fresno.edu or 559-453-2257.