Voices of Ascension to Present Four Candlelight Christmas Concerts

Voices of Ascension will bring back its Candlelight Christmas Concerts on Wednesday, December 9, 2026 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, December 10, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. (which will be recorded and broadcast on WQXR later in the month), Monday, December 14, 2026 at 7:30 p.m., and Tuesday, December 15, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at the Church of the Ascension.

Now in its 37th year, Voices of Ascension's Candlelight Christmas Concerts have become a treasured annual holiday tradition, gathering audiences in community for music that reflects winter, wonder, and shared tradition beneath the shimmer of candlelight. These family-friendly concerts feature a vibrant mix of ancient carols, seasonal masterworks, and contemporary reflections on winter and light—offering warmth, beauty, and community at year's end.

Illuminated by scores of candelabras and nearly 600 individual candles, the church's Neo-Gothic architecture becomes a radiant setting for ancient carols, Christmas choral anthems, seasonal masterworks, and beloved family favorites. This immersive concert offers an unforgettable Christmastime experience for listeners of all ages, with Voices of Ascension, the Manton Memorial Organ, and special guest soloists including rising young opera star soprano Song Hee Lee.

Voices of Ascension kicks off its 2026–2027 season with Grand Choral Opening: War & Requiem on Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at Church of the Ascension. Joined by sopranos Meredith Wohlgemuth and Sarah Frei, mezzo-soprano Lucia Bradford, tenor Matthew Swensen, and baritone Joseph Parrish as guest soloists, Voices performs Haydn's Mass in Time of War (Missa in tempore belli) and Fauré's Requiem in D Minor.

Through a blend of contemporary and historical repertoire, the 2026-27 season, The Radiant Depths, spans the Renaissance to newly commissioned works and rarely heard masterworks, reflecting both the breadth of the tradition and the depth of expression that defines it as Voices traces a season-long journey through enduring questions about mortality, transcendence, and our relationship to one another. Many of these works emerged during periods of uncertainty and upheaval, asking questions that continue to feel deeply familiar: where we find meaning, how communities endure, and what sustains us through challenging times.