The Christ Episcopal Church Chancel Choir will perform a special musical Advent season event at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4 in the church sanctuary at 400 San Juan Dr., Ponte Vedra Beach. The performance will also feature a University of North Florida instrumental ensemble, piano, organ and soloist Haley Cox.
The Magnificat is music that honors Mary as the mother of Jesus, but is also a musical prayer for the sick, the poor, a song for help and hope for those who are struggling. The 35-minute performance is free and open to the public. It is based on passages In the Gospel of Luke in the Bible.
Christ Church Music Director Rachel Root explains that the “Magnificat” is a song that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, sings to her cousin Elizabeth. Its themes reflect hope, excitement and joy, in keeping with the Advent season leading to Christmas.
“In Mary’s words, Mary takes the focus off of herself, and places the focus back on Jesus, and on his ability to bring hope, joy, and love into our world,” Root said. “She is the vehicle through which this will happen. She knows that we often fail in our attempts to be what we should be, yet, God’s message to her was one of affirmation, encouragement, strength and hope.” The message for everyone is that “God continues to demonstrate his love and compassion for us, as he has in the past, through our present, and as he will continue to do into our future.”
Root said music is a powerful way to render words more powerful, emotionally. “Sometimes we can read something, and it doesn’t really sink in until we experience the words in a more meaningful way,” she said. “Maybe it occurs when we are moved by the power of the music.”
