Trio of parishes unite in song

Cantatas are essentially the Christmas story put to music. Music director Terri Hait, who belongs to St. Anna's but plays at all three churches, decided to try one for the first time last year.

Since the churches have one pastor, Rev. Edward Golding, they already had some associations; he encouraged the cantata performance as a way to further unite the trio.

Summons

With the prospect of performing in front of her, Mrs. Hait initially worried she'd taken on a project that was too big for her. She thought about the fact that two of the churches, St. Joseph's and St. Anna's, were a dozen miles apart; she worried that she had no conducting experience.

"I thought I was biting off more than I could chew," she remembered.

Helpers

Soon, the group began to meet -- first separately, according to their voice ranges, then together. "I was the page flipper!" Mrs. Hait remarked with a chuckle.

Mrs. Hait saw the 2001 performance as a blessing and a "God thing." Noting that she never made it through a music recital as a child without "blanking out," she realized while preparing that "God would give me the strength to do it, and it would work out."

One more time

About 18 people from the three churches joined the choir. In addition, Mrs. Hait got a 12-member children's choir together to sing two songs, "In a Tiny Manger" and "Camel, Kneel Softly," accompanied by piano teacher Teresa Millias from St. Joseph's parish.

Mrs. Hait joked that directing the children's choir is her most nerve-wracking task in the entire event.

"It really makes my Christmas, because it really is the meaning of Christmas: the birth of Christ," she said of the cantata performance. "And it's a way to give back to the parish."

(12-12-02) [[In-content Ad]]