St. Charles church offers Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols

At 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, St. Charles Episcopal Church, 994 N. Fifth Ave., will host the annual Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols, featuring the talented St. Charles Choir and instrumentalists under the direction of Mark Downey.

A beautiful respite from the stresses of December, the St. Charles Choir and instrumentalists present the Advent message of anticipation and grace through meditative anthems, poignant readings, and carols sung by the gathered congregation - all in the grand English style. Join them as they proceed literally and symbolically from darkness into light, including choral music in the Anglican tradition by Palestrina, Keesecker, Rutter, and White.

The event is presented by Sacred Music at the Red Door, St. Charles Episcopal Church's gift to the community of St. Charles. It is a grand conclusion to the 2016 season. The series has helped to establish St. Charles as a destination for those seeking musical refreshment and excellence, drawing on the existing strengths of its choir and guest artists, Georgian architecture, Howell 21-rank organ, and Anglican heritage. The St. Charles Choir is well known in the area as a mixed choir in the Royal School of Church Music tradition. The result is a sound of wide dynamic range and beautiful expression.

The church is wheelchair accessible and has ample free parking. For information, visit www.stcharlesepiscopal.org, call (630) 584-2596, or e-mail mdowney807@gmail.com.