Boar's Head Festival at Apostles Lutheran Church

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Behind the Scenes...

The many behind the scenes cast members are all VIPs! The Parking Lot Lords greet people as they drive in, the gowned ladies and gracious gents serve as greeters, ushers and program distributors, persons who design and decorate our worship center – inside and outside, the young lady who checks the props and costumes daily, those who make and distribute the hot cider and cookies after each performance, our two photographers and videographer, all who have helped invite and publicize these performances, the costume sewing and pressing, watching the younger children between their performance time, the lighting, the soundboard, the backstage coordinators who know the program so well they send in everyone on cue! And of course, the directors who spend hours planning, organizing, and rehearsing so that we give God our best! The Boar’s Head & Yule Log Festival is a large intergenerational production and the performances are a gift to the community.

Our motto is always Soli Deo Gloria – to God Alone be the Glory!

The Music

Apostles is blessed with wonderful musicians who have worked hard to develop the gifts God gave to them for the glory to God! The vocalists (the Schola Cantorum), soloists, instrumentalists, the Brass Ensemble, the String Ensemble, the Percussion ensemble, Handbells, pianists, organist, and 3 conductors give so much of themselves to present this music to all. This year seven new songs or arrangements of songs have been added! Following is a list of the music in this year’s festival:

Sans Day Carol Text: Sans Day Carol (St. Day Carol); 19^th cent. Cornish, first transcribed in the early 20^th cent.

Music: Stephen Caracciolo, b. 1955

The Boar’s Head Carol Text: Variant of Wynken de Worde’s New Christmas Carolles of 1521

Music: attr. Richard Smert, 1435-1477; arr. James Carmichael, b. 1944

Good King Wenceslas Text: John Mason Neale, 1818-1866

Music: from Piae Cantiones; arr. James Carmichael, b. 1944

Deck the Hall Text: Welsh traditional

Music: Welsh traditional; from Christmas Joy!, arr. Reginald Unterseher, b. 1956

Jingle Bells Text: James Lord Pierpont, 1822-1893

Music: James Lord Pierpont; from Christmas Joy!, arr. Reginald Unterseher, b. 1956

O Christmas Tree Text: German traditional

Music: German traditional; from Christmas Joy!, arr. Reginald Unterseher, b. 1956

Here We Come A-Wassailing Text: English traditional

Music: English traditional; from Christmas Joy!, arr. Reginald Unterseher, b. 1956

We Wish You a Merry Christmas Text: English traditional

Music: English traditional; from Christmas Joy!, arr. Reginald Unterseher, b. 1956

Gloria in excelsis Deo Text: from The Gloria; 4^th century Latin

Music: first movement from Gloria; K. Lee Scott, ASCAP, b. 1950

Angels We Have Heard on High Text: French carol; tr. Henri Frederick Hemy, The Crown of Jesus Music, 1864

Music: French carol; arr. Edward Shippen Barnes, 1887-1958; descant, James Carmichael, b. 1944

Love Came Down at Christmas Text: Christina G. Rossetti, 1830-1894; written 1885, alt.

Music: GARTAN, Petrie Collection of Irish Melodies, Part II, 1902; arr. Nancy Grundahl, b. 1947

Winter Solstice Carol Latin text: from the Magnificat antiphon for the second vespers of Christmas

English text: Giles Swayne, b. 1946

Music: William Beckstrand, b. 1962

We Three Kings Text: John Henry Hopkins, Jr. 1820-1891, alt.

Music: John Henry Hopkins, Jr., 1820-1891; arr. Craig Courtney, b. 1958

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence Text: Liturgy of St. James, 5^th cent.; tr. 1864, Gerard Moultrie, 1829-1885, alt.

Music: PICARDY, French folk tune, 17^th century; arr. Robert A. Hobby, b. 1962

O Come, All Ye Faithful Text: John Francis Wade, 1711-1786; tr. Frederick Oakeley, 1802-1880, and others

Music: attr. John Francis Wade, 1711-1786; harm. The English Hymnal, 1906

Sunday, November 4, 2012

The Story of the Nativity . . .

The archangel emerges as the introduction to Gloria in Excelsis Deo begins . . . she begins her beautiful ballet using the entire center aisle. The young cherubim arrive, fluttering with excitement as they are brought forward by the archangel to see the baby Jesus. The seraphim also come to pay homage to the baby Jesus and bring light to show others the way. During the final verse of Angels We Have Heard on High, the archangel takes her place on top of the angel stand, the seraphim on either side where all overlook the newborn Christ child. The young cherubim are seated around Mary and all are in awe as to what has occurred.

In Luke 2:8-20 we hear of shepherds in the fields of Judea, people of God’s holy earth. The lowly shepherds are the first to hear of the birth of Christ and are led to Bethlehem to see the Christ Child. They seek with their lanterns during the beautiful carol Love Came Down at Christmas. In awe at what they see in the manger in Bethlehem, they reverently bow to their Lord as they come forward to worship the Christ Child.

Listen! The rustle of the antique cymbal players tell us that something is about to happen! The Star of the East appears . . . the gong sounds. . . and the Journey of the Magi begins to the beautiful Winter Solstice Carol. As the Schola Cantorum sings We Three Kings, the adorned Magi come forward with their gifts for the Christ Child.

During the beautiful hymn Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, the people return and they are drawn to the altar. People from everywhere come forward and gaze in amazement at the miracle that has come to pass. The highest king and the lowliest shepherd are united. Young and old walk together. God has come down to each of these persons and each of them reach up to God.

O, Come All Ye Faithful – young and old, rich and poor, wise and simple – offer their hearts to the Christ Child as we sing this beautiful carol. After all recess, the young Sprite quietly enters and with the Friar, takes the Light of Christ out of the Worship Center. We are invited to reflect on the hope given to us in the birth of Christ and to take that hope out into the world.

Soli deo Gloria – to God alone by the Glory!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

The Boar's Head Festival Tradition

The Boar’s Head & Yule Log Festival was already steeped in tradition when presented at Queens College in Oxford, England in 1340. The Festival is perhaps the oldest continuing Festival of the Christmas season. It was first brought to America in Colonial Days and continues to be an annual event in many congregations across our nation.

At Apostles Lutheran in Brandon, The Boar’s Head Festival began in 2005 and has continued to grow and change each year. We present this Festival as a gift to the community and invite all to share in the beautiful tradition that includes the story of the Nativity, the birth of Christ . . . the Light of the World.

Like the march of history, the Festival begins with the heavy tread of the Beefeaters, guardians of the King. As the Sans Day Carol is sung, the Beefeaters solemnly stand their Watch of Honor as a pause is taken to contemplate the approaching miracle of the Incarnation.

After the carol, a young Sprite carries a burning candle into the hall. The candle light symbolizes the coming of the Light of Christ into our bleak world. The Sprite lights the Christ candle that is held by the Friar, and the Light of Christ is given to the Church not only to preserve it, but to extend the message of the coming of Christ to the world.

The trumpets sound and the flamboyant Boar’s Head singer enters to begin the Grand Processional. As he sings, the Boar’s Head story unfolds and the secular life of the middle ages is portrayed by a procession of peasants and nobles as they celebrate the Yuletide in a medieval manor. Following the Grand Processional, King Wenceslas and his Page, led by love and concern, sing Good King Wenceslas. As they sing this carol and relate to the woodsman and trudge through the snow, the words of this well known carol reflect on the Christian ideals in daily life.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

In the tradition of the Middle Ages in England, we invite you to experience the pageantry and merriment, music, theater, and the wonder of the nativity all woven together to celebrate the coming of Jesus, the Light of the World. The dates for this year's performances are Friday, November 30 and Saturday, December 1st at 7:30. We'll also have a matinee on December 2 at 4:00. All performances are free. Join us for this celebration!