St. Cecilia Chamber Choir will present its annual Lessons and Carols Christmas concerts on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 3:00 p.m. at the Damariscotta Baptist Church, and Saturday, Dec. 14 at 3:00 p.m. at Bowdoin College Chapel in Brunswick. Linda Blanchard is St. Cecilia’s artistic director, assisted by organist Sean Fleming. Advance tickets are strongly encouraged for these popular concerts. "You were as good as ever!" "The whole thing was just beautiful!" "I’m so glad we came!" are a few of the audience comments from last year's December concerts.

A beautiful new setting of the Gerard Manley Hopkins poem "The Bethlehem Star" by former King's Singers member Bob Chilcott will be featured. The John Rutter favorites "What Sweeter Music" and "There Is a Flower" will be performed, as well as Richard Francis' ever-popular "People, Look East" based on Eleanor Farjeon's Christmas poem. The Choir will sing a setting of the Thomas Hardy poem "The Oxen" by Richard Francis' father Keith Francis. Also featured will be "This Day Christ Was Born" by the prolific Elizabethan composer William Byrd. A professional string quartet will accompany the group on select pieces. As a special treat, Eric Whitacre’s "Glow," composed for the "World of Color – Winter Dreams" show which premiered at Disney California Adventure Park in California, will be performed.

With audience sing-along caroling using several of David Willcocks' arrangements, this concert is sure to be a treat for the whole family.

Tickets are $20 for the Damariscotta Baptist Church concert and $25 for the Bowdoin Chapel concert. Admission is free for students and children. Tickets are available online at ceciliachoir.org, and at Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shop in Damariscotta. For more information, please email [email protected], or visit facebook.com/stceciliachamberchoir and ceciliachoir.org.

The Choir is delighted to share the group’s new logo, designed by Portland-based graphic designer Wendy Clark. 

"This is St. Cecilia Chamber Choir’s thirtieth anniversary of bringing music to Midcoast audiences. Our new contemporary logo pays homage to tradition while also being lively and contemporary, reflecting music we sing from the English choral tradition and Renaissance music notation," said Blanchard. 

To learn more about St. Cecilia, just use our Contact form, and we’ll get in touch.

We look forward to hearing from you!