One of the best parts of the Advent season is all of the opportunities for worship that we’re presented with. Though it can be easy to be caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, it’s wonderful to have a moment to slow down. The First Baptist Church of Killeen has a whole month’s worth of Christmas events, including their annual Christmas Cantata.
First Baptist Christmas Cantata 2019
This year, the Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra will present Forever Christmas on Friday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 15 at 6:00 p.m. Childcare will be available for newborns – kindergarten age children. There will also be a church-wide Christmas party on December 15 immediately following the Sunday performance of the cantata.
History Of Christmas Cantatas
Cantatas originated during the Italian baroque period (late 16th century to early 18th century) alongside the oratorio. The cantatas were written for church services to correspond with the set readings of the liturgical year calendar. Cantatas most often incorporate text from the Bible with orchestral scores and choral music, however, chorale cantatas rely solely on the text of the chorale.
The popularity of the cantata soon spread over all of western Europe, and European composers began composing what are now some of the most famous, lasting cantatas. Bach composed 11 Christmas cantatas for the three days of Christmas. For the first day there are five cantata options, three for the second day, and three for the third day, with the intention that a church would choose and perform one for each day of Christmas.
These days, nearly every Christian music production company has dozens or more cantatas available for Churches to perform. Cantatas have come a long way from their baroque origins, and sound quite modern today.
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About Forever Christmas
Forever Christmas tells the biblical story of Christmas, reminding us that even without all of the wonderful traditions and memories that now surround the holiday it would still be Christmas as we celebrate Jesus’ birth. Amid all of the hustle and bustle, we remember who our “Forever Christmas” is!
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