Christmas Vespers: I Choose Love (St. Martin's)

Image: Louis Davis (designer) and Thomas Cowell (maker), Madonna and Child, 1930s. © The Stained Glass Museum

We are called to be the love and light of God to all we meet in this fractured and divided world. Christmas Vespers 2023 seeks to bring us together in a community of love, peace, and hope. The service is titled “I Choose Love,” taking its title from the anthem by composer Mark A. Miller.

The program of music will include works of Baroque composers Dietrich Buxtehude and J.S. Bach through composers of our time, including works by Eric Whitacre, Rosephanye Powell, Susan LaBarr, and Bob Chilcott, among others. Receiving its world premiere is “I Saw a Star” by composer William Averitt on a text by Sara Teasdale and incorporating the hymn tune and text Puer nobis. This work was commissioned by the TLU Choir in honor of Nancy and Fred Carney for their unwavering support of the choral program at Texas Lutheran University.

Faculty members Dr. Elizabeth Lee (cello), Dr. Eric Siu (violin), pianists Deb Mayes and Cristina Castro, and student violinist Samuel Gaytan join their talents with the TLU Choir, TLU Treble Choir, and Kantorei Chamber Choir. San Antonio actress, Sam Carter Gilliam, will lead the listener through the service of music and word through the Biblical figure of Ruth. The TLU Orchestral Winds and Percussion, conducted by Director of Bands Dr. Brett Richardson, will join with the choirs to bring music of the season and lead the congregation in the singing of favorite Christmas hymns.

Join us for a service that seeks to lift hearts and spirits with peace, harmony, and hope.

No tickets are required for this performance.