By Virginia Vollmer, OFS
What do you get when you combine 30 choir members, six instrumentalists, and two young angels? The answer is: The St. Elizabeth Seton Advent/Christmas Cantata. These amazing singers and musicians presented the parish and community with another beautiful program on December 15, 2024.
The two young angels Luciana Hera-Balleteros and Lily Vanhof were the proclaimers during the cantata. They told us all about angels between the songs. Through the proclamations we learned all about cherubim, seraphim, archangels, visitations, and announcements in both the Old and New Testaments. And don’t forget angels Raphael, Michael, and Gabriel making their voices heard praising God and helping humanity.
The program began with the song “In the Presence of Angels”. Do we recognize the angels around us? Two other songs reinforce the witness of angels: “Angels Come in Celebration” and “Angels Gather Here Today”. Angels are in the presence of God and continually praise Him. And the entire community did just that by singing “Holy God We Praise Thy Name”.
The next song “God Has Put the Angels in Charge of You” highlighted two soloists: Nancy Kullos and Sam Busby. This song is about our guardian angels. It is said that our guardian angel is with us through eternity. They are not assigned to any other person.
Gabriel may be the most famous of the angels. We heard a rendition of his announcement in a Basque carol called “Gabriel’s Message”. If you’ve been to previous cantatas you have heard “Angels Are Making Their Rounds”. It’s a charming song. And there’s a new one that may become a favorite: “Chatter With the Angels”. Chatter, chatter, chatter: it was fun to hear. But it led into the somber song “May the Angels Lead You” about angels being a comfort at death.
We heard another soloist, Nicole Cheshire, in the song “The Angels Danced on Christmas Morn”. Could that become a new Christmas tradition at your home — dancing in the morning to celebrate the incarnation of our Lord Jesus?
And then we came to the end of the cantata as we all stood to sing “Angels We Have Heard on High!” The music and voices resounded throughout the church. At the conclusion, Father Williams came up to the ambo to give his thanks and to echo our appreciation for the best choir in the diocese! We received a benediction from Father Williams and together we recited the prayer of St. Michael the Archangel.
If you happened to miss the live presentation of the “Voices of Angels”, (or would like to watch it again) it was recorded and can be found on the St. Elizabeth Seton Facebook page. Mark your calendar for the Lenten cantata which will be presented on March 30, 2025.
