Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church in Peachtree City will offer Love Feasts in Moravian Tradition on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 15 at 11 a.m. There is no admission charge.
Love Feasts became a tradition after the revitalization of the Moravian Church in 1727. During these music-filled services everyone is served a special-recipe Love Feast bun, and either apple juice or Moravian-recipe coffee. During “Silent Night” beeswax candles with red ruffs are distributed.
Christ Our Shepherd has scheduled Christmas Love Feasts since 2003. Besides congregational carols, music during the service includes selections ranging from J.S. Bach to Michael W. Smith, along with arrangements by Robert Shaw and Alice Parker. Pastor Fritz Wiese calls this music “among the best of the season in South Atlanta.”
In contrast to the mostly-choral music of the Love Feasts, the pre-service musical offerings are actually instrumental mini-concerts featuring Joyful Noise Ringers, Clarinet Choir, Flute Choir, Brass Choir, the Love Feast Consort, and handbell soloist Sarah Juhasz. These begin one half-hour before the Love Feasts.
Preceding even the musical offerings, the church band in Moravian tradition will play carols. The band is composed of members of the groups listed above, plus the middle-school Shepherd’s Band.
Conductors will be Karl Dietmeyer, David Beecher, and James C. Hagberg. Hagberg leads Da Chiesa Strings, among other ensembles. Soloists will include violinist Karla Dietmeyer, oboist Amelia Merriman, and singers Delee Rehak, Dave Byers, and Dewey Patrick.
For more information, call 770-487-8717.
