arts & entertainment

For Christians around the globe, Advent is a time of anticipation and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. Music lovers can immerse themselves in the sound of the Advent season with a performance of the Vero Beach Choral Society during Arrival: A Concert of Advent on Saturday and Sunday, December 7 & 8 at 4:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach, 520 Royal Palm Boulevard.

The 60-member choral ensemble will perform two works during the 55-minute concert with no intermission:  I Will Lift Mine Eyes, by American composer Adolphus Hailstork, is a three-movement cantata of varying tempo and tone based on the text of Psalms 121, 13, and 23. Professional tenor, Elijah Brown, joins the singers during the cantata and is featured in each movement. Miami-based Brown was recently recognized as an Artist-In-Residence at the Florida VOICE Project. 

The centerpiece of Arrival: A Concert of Advent is the modern classic by composer Dan Forrest, LUX: The Dawn from on High. Like Hailstork, Forrest also draws inspiration from biblical scripture, as well as ancient liturgical chant and modern secular love poetry. The five-movement LUX, written in 2018, was inspired thematically and spiritually by these profound texts –and visually by the light in the Reims Cathedral in France.

 Arrival: A Concert of Advent will be performed under the baton of Dr. Jacob Craig, accompanied by Ryan Kasten on organ and a chamber ensemble of flute, oboe, French horn, percussion, harp, violin and cello. The nonprofit Vero Beach Choral Society has been thrilling audiences since its formation in 1984. Admission to Arrival: A Concert of Advent is free, with a $10 suggested donation. For more information, visit www.VeroBeachChoralSociety.org or call (207) 650-0094.       

Choir members have been rehearsing for the performance since early October. Dr. Jacob Craig, Artistic Director and Conductor for the Vero Beach Choral Society, believes the concert will be a moving experience for attendees.

“This is a true Advent concert of anticipation. I believe the biggest surprise for people will be how moved they are by two works they may have never experienced,” said Dr. Craig, who also is the director of music and arts at First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach. “Hailstork brings an elevated gospel-themed performance piece featuring our incredible Miami tenor soloist, Elijah Brown. LUX suffuses the listener with an ethereal harmony and is supported by a very talented chamber orchestra.”

The Vero Beach Choral Society’s Arrival: A Concert of Advent is just one of many events sponsored or hosted by First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach, known for its musical and artistic outreach to the Central Florida community. For a list of upcoming events or for more information about First Presbyterian of Vero Beach, visit www.FirstPresVero.org.