Download the "Songs by the Hearth" full concert program book
PROGRAM
DARKNESS AND SOLSTICE
(reader: Dana Goldman)
As the year draws to its quiet close, we find ourselves at the turning of the light. The solstice—longest night of the year—has always invited reflection, wonder, and renewal. In every culture, it has been a time to honor the darkness not as something to fear, but as the cradle of rebirth, where new light is born.
Silent Night
Franz Gruber
arr. Malcolm Sargent
Soloist: Cindy Hess
The Christmas Silence
Laura V. Belanger
The Winter’s Night
Nicholas Myers
HEARTH AND RITUAL
(reader: Sarah Bunkley)
At the heart of every solstice lies the impulse to gather — around fire, around music, around shared moments that bind us together. The hearth has long been a symbol of warmth and belonging, while ritual gives meaning to our shared experience, marking the rhythms of life, season, and spirit.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus
Zanaida Robles
Still, Still, Still
Austrian Carol
arr. Norman Luboff
Crowded Table
Natalie Hemby, Lori McKenna, Brandi Carlile
arr. Whitney Simmonds
*O Come, All Ye Faithful Traditional
INTERMISSION
YULE AND REJOICING
(reader: Mary Lloyd-Evans)
As winter deepens and the days grow short, the season of Yule invites us to gather in celebration — to bring light, laughter, and song into the longest nights of the year. Rooted in ancient traditions that honor renewal and hope, Yule reminds us that even in darkness, there is joy to be found in togetherness.
Solstice Carole
Kim Baryluk
Red and Green
Maddy Prior
arr. Joan Szymko
Good Ale, from When Icicles Hang
John Rutter
*It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Edward Pola
George Wyle
LIGHT RETURNS
(reader: Nancy Frost)
In the stillness of winter, when the nights feel longest and the world seems hushed beneath its cloak of shadow, we wait for the light to return. This turning point in the year has symbolized renewal — the quiet promise that darkness is never the end, but a passage toward illumination.
My Lord, What a Mornin’
Traditional
arr. H.T. Burleigh
Where the Light Begins
Susan LaBarr
text by Jan Richardson
Joy to the World
Lowell Mason
arr. Dan Forrest
Pianists: Laura Belanger, Will Gunn
* Please sing along with us
PROGRAM
DARKNESS AND SOLSTICE
(reader: Dana Goldman)
As the year draws to its quiet close, we find ourselves at the turning of the light. The solstice—longest night of the year—has always invited reflection, wonder, and renewal. In every culture, it has been a time to honor the darkness not as something to fear, but as the cradle of rebirth, where new light is born.
Silent Night
Franz Gruber
arr. Malcolm Sargent
Soloist: Cindy Hess
The Christmas Silence
Laura V. Belanger
The Winter’s Night
Nicholas Myers
HEARTH AND RITUAL
(reader: Sarah Bunkley)
At the heart of every solstice lies the impulse to gather — around fire, around music, around shared moments that bind us together. The hearth has long been a symbol of warmth and belonging, while ritual gives meaning to our shared experience, marking the rhythms of life, season, and spirit.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus
Zanaida Robles
Still, Still, Still
Austrian Carol
arr. Norman Luboff
Crowded Table
Natalie Hemby, Lori McKenna, Brandi Carlile
arr. Whitney Simmonds
*O Come, All Ye Faithful Traditional
INTERMISSION
YULE AND REJOICING
(reader: Mary Lloyd-Evans)
As winter deepens and the days grow short, the season of Yule invites us to gather in celebration — to bring light, laughter, and song into the longest nights of the year. Rooted in ancient traditions that honor renewal and hope, Yule reminds us that even in darkness, there is joy to be found in togetherness.
Solstice Carole
Kim Baryluk
Red and Green
Maddy Prior
arr. Joan Szymko
Good Ale, from When Icicles Hang
John Rutter
*It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Edward Pola
George Wyle
LIGHT RETURNS
(reader: Nancy Frost)
In the stillness of winter, when the nights feel longest and the world seems hushed beneath its cloak of shadow, we wait for the light to return. This turning point in the year has symbolized renewal — the quiet promise that darkness is never the end, but a passage toward illumination.
My Lord, What a Mornin’
Traditional
arr. H.T. Burleigh
Where the Light Begins
Susan LaBarr
text by Jan Richardson
Joy to the World
Lowell Mason
arr. Dan Forrest
Pianists: Laura Belanger, Will Gunn
* Please sing along with us