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December 9, 2022The Advent season is here and parishes across the world are preparing for the season of the celebration of Christ’s birth. In the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, several choir directors have big plans and are working to prepare beautiful Advent performances to take place during Advent and Christmas Masses.
Brad Newcomb has been the choir director at Saint Mary Catholic Church in Ponca City since 2019. The parish is in a unique situation as they are currently upgrading their pipe organ and learning to adapt as they await the new instrument next spring.
“Since we’re in the organ renovations, we are having 30 minutes of carols and anthems before Mass at 4:30 p.m. and Midnight Mass, and Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Newkirk at 6:30 p.m.,” Newcomb said, adding that many of the anthems are composed by John Rutter.
The performance will include descants in each anthem, to add a special experience to the songs.
“It wouldn’t be complete without the descants at the end of every verse,” Newcomb said. “There’ll be a pattern and we’ll sing an anthem based on the carols, and we’ll move on to the next. It’ll tell the Christmas story in chronological order.”
With organ renovations began following the Feast of the Pentecost last summer, they were forced to adapt to organ renovations, which included adopting the use of an electric organ, and choir members performing in front of the congregation. They have since returned to the choir loft.
“We’ve been in the balcony for a couple of months now,” Newcomb said.
In the Oklahoma City metro area, David Anderson is the director of music and organist for Christ the King Catholic Church. He has only been in the role for four months, he said, replacing longtime music director, Edwin Day.
“We’ve always had a star choir performance, so the choir meets Wednesdays at the church for rehearsal. The choir has been rehearsing Christmas now for several weeks,” Anderson said.
The choir will have a grueling performance schedule, including 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. prior to Midnight Mass, followed by 10 a.m. Christmas Day. The performances are especially important with a brass section backing the choir singers. There will also be several different performances with the organ, choir and brass group.”
“They’ll play for all Masses. There’ll be an organ and brass, organ and choir, and all three put together,” Anderson said.
Anderson has a considerable library of music from which to choose, and hopes it’ll be special this year.
“There are so many options that could be done. The problem is picking what you want to do,” Anderson said, “There is a lot of music for choir, brass and organ, but I’m picking a few new ones as well.”
With so much to choose from the extensive selection of music, they began rehearsing Nov. 12.
“We’ll do the Advent and Christmas hymns everyone knows, and there’ll be four to five new anthems, and preludes throughout the Mass,” Anderson explained.
He added that Christ the King Catholic School’s children’s choir will also perform at the 4:30 p.m. Mass.
“There’ll be the same music, but there will be different music at all the Masses,” Anderson said.
Historically, the parish featured a handbell choir, but due to COVID-19, that choir was put on hiatus. Anderson promises it will come back soon.
“We’re going to start it up soon, but we don’t have a date set yet,” he said, “After the start of the year, we’ll be looking for a start time to get them going again."
No matter what parish one belongs to, it is expected to be a special Advent and Christmas season this year.
“I’m excited,” Newcomb said. “Even if we don’t have the pipe organ right now, but we’re really close and everything’s coming together.”
Everett Brazil, III is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
Photo: Archbishop Coakley hosted an evening of Advent Lessons and Carols on Dec. 4 in Oklahoma City with The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help choir. Photo Avery Holt/Sooner Catholic.
