This Year’s Stake Christmas Music Fireside

Each year for several years now, my Stake has done a Stake Christmas Music Fireside. I’ve driven its format since it’s beginning. I’ve formatted it as a “Collage Concert,” where music flows from one piece to the next with little to no interruption. Logistics in the room — and my disinterest in choreographing it carefully — imposes some limits, but it works pretty well.

Here are the essentials for our event. You can adjust it, but I do recommend such an event.

• Goal: Kickoff the season with a sacred music event.
• Goal: Involved many stake musicians, as many as possible!
• Goal: Minimize prep time. Musicians want to enjoy the season, too.

• Ward choirs: ward choirs are the core of the event. I ask each funtioning ward choir to present one selection from among those that they are already preparing for their own ward Christmas programs. This way, there is no extra prep. This has the additional benefit of encouraging and reinforcing the ward choir programs instead of interrupting those programs for a Stake event.
• Small Ensembles: Small ensembles of varying levels of skill bring a lot of variety and interest to the program. If you have some good musicians, they can do a good Rutter arrangement, for example, that you may not be able to have a ward choir do. But don’t focus too much on the high end. A simple trio of average voices singing Away in a Manger has often been very satisfying and pleasing.
• Solos: Sometimes you have to ask for these, but ask. Find those good solo voices and encourage solos or duets. This year, one of the good basses in the Stake is doing O Holy Night. A few years ago, a really good tenor did the same.
• Instrumental: We have a few really good pianists and organists. They enjoy the opportunity to stretch skills and perform something new. We have a great 15-year-old pianist who often moves many of us to tears when he plays. I don’t give him a choice; he performs!
  
• Congregational selections: I always include 2-3 congregational hymns mid-program, besides the opening and closing hymns. It’s not just filler; it’s an important part of the experience. Too often, congregations only get to sing 1 verse of Silent Night, for example. A couple of years ago, I had a good organ student do a classical arrangement of Silent Night that ended with the congregation singing all 3 verses to the arrangement. I got feedback about how much the congregation appreciated getting to sing all 3 verses!
• Stake Choir: The first 2 years we did this, we did 2 big Stake Choir selections with a Stake Chamber Orchestra. It was a lot of work and rehearsing. It was really enjoyed by all. But in subsequent years, I’ve shifted away from that rehearsal burden and leaned more heavily on the ward choirs and a few really solid small ensembles. This year, I’m going further and not even pulling together my small ensemble. We’ll see how it goes. I think it will be fine. I’ll missing singing a good Rutter or two, but I just don’t have it in me to do the rehearsal time!

• Introduction: As I introduce the evening — after opening hymn and prayer — I explain the format to the congregation and musicians. I give them instructions about coming up a few selections at a time to minimize the time between selections. I describe the ideal desired effet where one number follows the next almost beat after beat. I also talk a few minutes on obervations, on what to expect, on the role of sacred music. I work to help them put their minds in the right place to really enjoy and be uplifted by the evening.
• Timing: My longest programs are 1 hour 15 minutes. I refuse to go longer. I prefer 1 hour.
• Appropriate Selections: As a fireside, you are can use selections that are still sacred music but may not fit in a Sacrament Meeting. You could do a Southern Spiritual. You can do “Concert” kinds of things. Participants are free to “Perform” more than would be appropriate for a sacrament meeting. Leverage that. Put on a concert!
• Narration: I don’t do a narration any longer. In the first year or 2, I did use 2-3 short narrations mid-program. I’ve stopped that and let the music carry the event. I much prefer it, and I think the congregation does, too. The only speaking is at the beginning.

That’s how our event has change during its first years. Let me know what you do in your stakes and wards. Share your ideas.