Lafayette Church presents new cantata

Story and Photo by Rosa Kasper Lafayette - When an orchestra of strings, brass, timpani, and woodwinds accompanies a full chorus for a Christmas cantata, people here in the county take notice, as they did when more than 500 men, women, and children thronged the Lafayette Federated Church on Saturday and Sunday evenings, leaving standing room only. The dramatic cantata, “One King,” was arranged and directed by Hampton automobile mechanic Ed Meisner. To compose the cantata, Meisner artfully blended traditional Christmas carols and plainchant with classical and contemporary Christian music, and added recitatives taken from scripture to orchestra interludes and organ and piano accompaniment. Decked in holiday reds and greens, the many children in the audience were wriggling in happy anticipation of a special occasion. Their parents, also festively attired, pointed out the Christmas tree lights reflected in the shiny brass and silver of the trumpets, saxophones, French horns, and flutes, which made the orchestra appear to give off a warm, steady light. After a welcome by the church pastor, The Rev. Dr. Richard Cryder, the performance began with a sing-along of traditional Christmas carols, in which the audience accompanied the chorus with the kind of full-throated exuberance rarely heard. Interspersed with recitative by Diane and Jerry Ambrost, and orchestral and choral music, soprano Ellen Keindienst sang “The Night that Christ was Born.” Soprano Kathryn Busch sang a tender “Starlight Lullaby.” Soprano trio Kathryn Koserowski, Kathy Martin, and Kate Morris sang “Glory to the King,” and tenor Don Stark sang “What Kind of King?” “This is such a wonderful occasion and it means so much to my family and to me because of all that Christmas brings us,” said Ray Delbury, whose two daughters Hannah Ray, 7,and Naomi Lynn, 5, sang a touching rendition of “A Manger is His Throne,” with fellow members of the children’s chorus. The evening ended in a grand finale, with tenors Matt Morris and John Gardner, baritone Don Ehrmann, and bass Joel Apol giving a rousing performance of a country-music version of “Glory to God in the Highest” that had everyone clapping to hold the rhythmic line. Meisner beamed with delight at the end of the performance, and said in a stage whisper: “Not too bad for a man who works on cars for a living.”