December 9, 2022

St. Cecilia Parish to present annual Festival of Carols on Dec. 11

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Rebecca Drake

 

WILBRAHAM – During a season when many are overwhelmed with holiday preparations, the choir members and music director at St. Cecilia Parish in Wilbraham hope to bring a moment of peace and a message of hope with their annual Festival of Carols presentation.

The free concert, which includes adult and youth choir members accompanied by piano, organ, flute, saxophone, and percussion, will be held on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. in the church, located at 42 Main St., and followed by a reception in the adjoining parish center. A free will offering will be accepted.

For some choir members, the meaning of traditional Christmas carols has been deepened by the presence of new choir member Vira Syrota, who left her home in western Ukraine last September, along with her young son. Syrota is a second cousin to choir members and sisters Debi Trimboli and Judy Bordenuk, whose late father John Bordenuk was the son of Ukrainian immigrants. (Editor’s Note: Interviews with Syrota and her son are featured in the December issue of the Springfield Diocese’s Catholic Mirror magazine.)

Syrota and her son are staying in Wilbraham under the sponsorship of Bordenuk and her husband, Paul Mei Jr. A former nurse, a journalist and prize-winning poet, Syrota also was a member of two choral groups in Ukraine.

“Having Vira join us this year reminds us that music transcends language – no matter what our native tongue is, we can join together to celebrate and pray in song,” said choir member Diane Diehl. “We are blessed to have her beautiful voice with us. I am happy that she can have some sense of normalcy in her life.

“I cannot imagine what Vira and the Ukrainian people are going through during this senseless war,” Diehl said. “I want to say to her that there are more good people than evil in the world and to have faith that God and those good people will triumph.”

Choir member Luanna Roberts echoed these sentiments.

“Some of the pieces we do have to do with peace on earth. What a wonderful gift that would be!” Roberts said. “I’m sure it’s extremely difficult for Vira to be away from her homeland and her family. My heart goes out to her. Thankfully, she has extended family here with her cousins Debi and Judy. What a blessing for her.”

Traditional carols in the program will include “Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room” (Lloyd Larson); “Arise, Shine, For Your Light Has Come” (Allen Pote); “Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow” (arr. Greg Gilpin); “Away in a Manger” (arr. Joel Raney), and others.

Music director Todd Rovelli and St. Cecilia soloist Elizabeth Mussio will perform a piano duet based on the “Carol of the Bells,” one of the most familiar Christmas melodies, which has its roots in a Ukrainian folk song.

The program also will feature secular holiday songs, including “Deck the Halls” (arr. Molly Ijames).

“Choosing a varied program, including both sacred and secular favorites, is key to a successful concert,” Rovelli said. “It gives the choir an opportunity to sing music they wouldn’t typically do at Mass, resulting in an enjoyable experience for them and for the audience.”

Rovelli said the concert is the culmination of many months of preparation.

“I always look forward to the creative process involved in preparing for the concert,” he said. “That begins during the summer with the challenging task of selecting the right pieces, continues in early September with intense weekly rehearsals to learn and polish the music, and culminates in December with what we hope is an awesome performance.”

The Dec. 11 concert will include a duet by cantors Carol Adamski-Maggi and Jena Fallon; a solo by cantor Leo Morrissey; and a quartet performance of Matt Maher’s version of “Silent Night” by youth choir director Carolee McGrath; youth choir members Mary Kate McGrath and Mary Heinold; and Jena Fallon.

Adamski-Maggi, a longtime soloist and choir member at St. Cecilia’s, said the concert provides a healing message for all who attend each year.

“Christmas is a time to put aside our differences and celebrate not only the birth of Christ but also to celebrate our humanity,” she said. “A common goal we strive towards is achieving inner peace. One way is to treat everyone equally with love, compassion and respect, and to realize we are all one family in the eyes of God.”