Christmas comes alive at St. Mary Church

St. Mary Church, already known for its vibrant music ministry from the days of organist, Bentley Callender, and the very first church to have the Merrymen and a steel band play in service, will come alive this Christmas with a number of concerts – the first series since the shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting on Friday, December 16th, the Church will host the St. Leonard’s Boys Choir in what is expected to be a spectacular comeback as the rich young voices blend with the Church acoustics to offer a concert of familiar music mixed with some not so familiar melodies. 

Led by music teacher Andrew Lokey, the boys are hard at rehearsals so they can deliver the usual high standard of presentation for which they have become known.

On December 18, there will be a Service of Nine Lessons and Carols which will feature the St. Mary Church Choir under the direction of gifted and accomplished organist Akhanni Drakes, at 6 p.m. 

The Augmented Choir of St. Mary hard at work rehearsing for the recital.

There are the usual Christmas Services with the Midnight Mass preceded at 11:30 p.m. by Carol Singing before the Blessing of the Crib, Solemn Eucharist and Procession to usher in Christmas Day 2022. The Eucharist Service on Christmas Day begins at 8 a.m.

On Sunday, January 1, 2023, the concert that has always been a big draw – the Christmas Recital – starts at 6 p.m. This year, the Barbados Police Service Band returns as a feature presentation, along with the Augmented Choir of St. Mary Church made up of choir members and other musicians, not from the Church, but who will join them for the occasion.

The ‘Police Band,’ as they are familiarly known, which played at St. Mary for the first time back in the 1970s, is another first for this Church.

Other performers to be featured at the Christmas Recital include the talented young violinist Sydney Reid, a member of both St. Mary Church and the National Youth Orchestra. Marilyn Smith, a teacher at the Alleyne School, who is well versed in the piano, a member of the Myriad singers and serves as organist and Director of Music at the Church of Christ the King, will also perform.

They will be joined by talented tenor Nathan Richards who has performed in Barbados and Canada and is also a member of the Myriad Singers.

The programme will be conducted by the talented and enthusiastic Director of Music at St. Thomas Parish Church, Demario Roach.

Akanni Drakes is the Musical Director of all the varied programs. (PR)