December 2, 7:00 pm
Prelude music begins 30 minutes before at 6:30 pm
Location
Bethlehem Lutheran Church (200 Kenilworth Ave S, Lanesboro)
Fees/Admission
free-will offering to help Scott Dixon with medical expenses
Contact Information
bethlehem@acegroup.cc
Description
The Elstad Community Choir returns for its 24th annual Advent Cantata, and they’re inviting the public to experience the musical "God Came Near: The Miracle and Magic of Christmas" through song at two performances on, Sunday, November 25, 5:00 pm, at Elstad Lutheran Church and Sunday, December 2, 7:00 pm, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. A free-will offering will be received at Bethlehem’s performance to help Scott Dixon with medical expenses. Prelude music begins 30 minutes before each performance. Refreshments will be served following each performance.
This year, the choir incorporated new elements to the performance with vignettes, acting, and narration. “Having actors who are involved in the community theatre took on the personas and the characters and really brought it to life,” said Julie Kiehne, program developer. The musical from composer Tom Fettke features a blend of new songs, classic texts, and beloved carols like ‘On This Holy Night.’ “What I liked about this musical is its message of joy and hope during this season and it tells the whole story of the birth of Christ,” said Julie Ekstrom program developer.
The choir draws members from many parishes in southern Minnesota, including Elstad’s sister parish, Highland Prairie Lutheran Church in Lanesboro. Pastor Daryl Thompson who directed the choir says the annual performance is a musical highlight for the parish. “The Christmas story is so perfect because it’s a beautiful story that gets more beautiful every time it’s told,” Thompson said. That story was almost left untold when organizers of the Cantata could not find a choir director to replace its retiring director. “We were downstairs at a meeting, and somebody said ‘we’re probably not going to do a Cantata this year,’ and we’ve done it for decades. And I said, ‘well, why not?’ and they said they couldn’t find a choir director, so my hand just shot up uncontrollably,” said Thompson. Program organizers of the Cantata say that the opening night was a “success” by bringing the story to life in a fresh way. There will be another performance December second at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Prelude begins at 6:30 pm.