December 5, 2025

St. Cecilia Parish to present annual Festival of Carols on Dec. 14

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Rebecca Drake

Members of the St. Cecilia Adult Choir sing during a recent Mass at the Wilbraham church. The parish will present its annual Festival Carols on Dec. 14 at 4 p.m.

WILBRAHAM – St. Cecilia Parish, 42 Main St., here, will present its popular Festival of Carols on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. in the church. The snow date is Sunday, Dec. 21 at 4 p.m. The concert is free but a free will offering will be accepted to help support the parish’s music ministry.

The annual holiday concert, which often fills the 700-seat church, will feature the St. Cecilia Parish Adult and Youth Choirs as well as professional musicians who provide percussion, flute, saxophone, clarinet, and trumpet. Parish music director Todd Rovelli will accompany the choirs on piano and organ.

Among those attending the concert will be St. Cecilia parishioner Moira Fitzgerld, who said, “It’s been a family tradition for us for at least the past ten years. The holidays are a busy time, and the festival gives us a beautiful opportunity to take a break and remember the true meaning of the season. I also think the selection of songs is always great and, of course, the singing is excellent!”

This year’s program will invite audience members to take a rest from the rush and busyness of the season and spend some time in the musical realms of 17^th-century liturgical music; traditional and contemporary Christmas carols; and some jazzy, joyous interpretations of familiar songs, including “We Three Kings” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain.”

The youth choir, directed by parishioner Carolee McGrath, will be featured in the performances of the 18^th-century carol, “O Come Little Children,” and “Believe,” a song from the soundtrack of the animated film, “The Polar Express.”

Members of the St. Cecilia Youth Choir pose after a recent Mass at the Wilbraham church. The young singers will be featured in the parish’s annual Festival of Carols on Sunday, Dec. 14.

The concert also includes several congregational carols, allowing audience members to sing along with the choirs.

Rovelli said he strives to create a program that will represent the varied genres of holiday music and uplift the spirits of listeners.

“A successful program should include a variety of different musical styles, so there really is something for everyone,” he said. “Add to that several beloved Christmas hymns and some unique arrangements, and you have the ingredients for a concert sure to inspire the audience.”

Among the new music in the concert this year will be a unique “Ave Maria,” that Rovelli describes as “a less well-known version with a hauntingly beautiful melody by Baroque composer Giulio Caccini”; and an ethereal version of “In the Bleak Midwinter,” arranged by Dan Forrest.

And returning to the lineup is an audience favorite: Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene’s modern carol “Mary Did You Know?” with choral arrangement by Jack Schrader.