Nov 21, 2016 By Christopher Buckley cbuckley@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read

The Belle Vernon Ministerium’s 11th annual Lessons and Carols will be performed at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at St. Sebastian Church in North Vernon.

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols was first celebrated at King’s College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve 1918.

A service of Christian worship, The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols celebrates the birth of Jesus that is traditionally followed at Christmas.

Lessons and Carols involves the following lessons:

n First Lesson — Adam and Eve rebel against God.

n Second Lesson — God promises to faithful Abraham that his descendants will be a blessing to all nations of the earth.

n Third Lesson — Christ’s birth and rule of peace and justice are foretold by Isaiah.

n Fourth Lesson — The peace that Christ will bring is foreshown.

n Fifth Lesson — The angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will be the mother of Jesus.

n Sixth Lesson — St. Matthew tells of the birth of Jesus.

n Seventh Lesson — The shepherds go to Bethlehem.

n Eight Lessons — The wise men are led by the star to Jesus.

n Ninth Lesson — John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.

This will mark the 11th year for Lessons and Carols. The choir, which has grown each year, will include 67 members. They represent 17 churches throughout the valley.

“It’s just the enjoyment of everyone coming together to sing and celebrate the season,” said Eugene Lancas, music creator at St. Sebastian Church and music director for Lessons and Carols. “The more you have, the better blend of a sound and harmony.”

This year, after the ninth lesson, an anthem written by keyboard player Greg Capozzi — “A Winter’s Night” — will be performed.

“It is a Christmas anthem, written for a large choir,” Lancas said.

While Capozzi will play keyboards for Lessons and Carols, he will direct “A Winter’s Night.”

During a previous year, Capozzi wrote the anthem, “Manger Carol,” which was also performed by the choir.

“We follow the tradition of Lessons and Carols with readings followed by the choir or the congregation singing,” Lancas said.

The service has become better attended each year, Lancas said. He credits the choir.

The choir begins practices in October in anticipation for the one service in mid December.

“I believe the enjoyment of it is being involved with such super people,” Lancas said. “The people involved are so easy to work with and so much fun to work with. And they produce the end result.”