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This program, presented by Lehigh University and PBS39, will air live at 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 8, 2019.
Bethlehem, PA. – December 5, 2019 – PBS39 will kick off the holiday season with a performance by Lehigh University’s Choral Arts Christmas Vespers. This service, now in its 150th year, is an annual gift to the community of holiday classics and arrangements of old favorites, as well as readings, candlelight and joy.
“We are proud to partner with Lehigh University to share this holiday tradition with a new audience,” Tim Fallon, Chief Executive Officer of Lehigh Valley Public Media™, home of PBS39, said. “This broadcast will be accessible to all members of our community. Our viewers will be able to view this spectacular performance from the comfort of their homes.”
PBS39’s Monica Evans will be hosting the broadcast of the 8 p.m. performance. The concert is free and open to the public on Sunday, December 8, 2019 with performances at 4 and 8 p.m. No tickets are required, but early arrival is recommended. More than 250 singers and readers, including alumni, will fill Lehigh University’s Victorian landmark Packer Memorial Church with candlelight, song and prose. Lehigh University’s Steven Sametz and Sun Min Lee will direct this performance.
“Vespers is our annual gift of song to Lehigh University and the Lehigh Valley,” Artistic Director Steven Sametz said. “This years’ program is the 150th Anniversary Celebration and we welcome returning alumni singers of Lehigh Choral Arts,” Sametz said. “The singing of Praetorius’s “Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming” dates back more than seventy-five years, when the men’s Glee Club sang it annually under the direction of Robert (“Boss”) Cutler. I continue this tradition, offering a newly arranged version of this Lehigh classic each year as a present to both the singers of Lehigh University Choral Arts and to our friends and families who come to hear and support us. As always, readings of the season set the mood for our holiday celebration.”
This special presentation can be viewed live at 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 8. Check your local listings to find the channel over the air, or on your cable or satellite provider. WLVR 91.3 FM will air the performance at 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 22 and again at 10 a.m. on Christmas morning.
About Lehigh Valley Public Media™
Lehigh Valley Public Media, home of PBS39/WLVT, WLVR, and WPPT, acts as the catalyst to promote civic engagement, and to fulfill the regional needs of the Greater Lehigh Valley, through its dynamic communication platforms and resources. The Reporter Corps® creates community-focused content for PBS39 News Tonight, digital platforms, and radio. Lehigh Valley Public Media and the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley are partnering to fund and fulfill the regional literacy initiative Lehigh Valley Reads. This campaign is working to ensure all Lehigh Valley students read on grade level by the end of third grade by 2025. Lehigh Valley Public Media is a community-owned public media organization serving eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. PBS39 is licensed in Allentown to the Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation. For more information, visit PBS39.org.
Information provided to TVL by:
Nicole Harrell
Public Relations/Promotions Manager, PBS39
