Cathedral Candlelight Carol Sing unites voices in hope and praise

The Candlelight Carol Sing returned to the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart last week for two nights and was a sight to behold. Angelic voices swept through the air amidst the ambiance of candlelight and seasonal décor. The cathedral choir was joined by the renowned vintage pipe organ, instrumentalists, and solo performances.

As is tradition, the audience became part of the show during the finale by singing Silent Night in unison. The crowd swayed to the movement of conductor John J. Miller’s baton and sang in the glow of candlelight.

Silent night, holy night!

All is calm, and all is bright

Round yon Virgin, Mother, and Child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

“I was just taking everything in,” said Father John Chadwick, the vicar general of the Archdiocese of Newark, who was one of those in attendance singing with a flickering candle in hand. He said he was impressed with the myriad small candles carefully placed throughout the space. “The saying goes, ‘The one who sings prays twice!'”

In his welcoming remarks, he encouraged those in attendance to “gather as a family of faith and allow the music to show us hope, to point us to Christ. Let us listen in joy to the music presented and join our voices in praise according to Psalm 104: ‘I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live.'”

Father John said the time of Advent and Christmas is often thought of in terms of Hope, quoting from Isaiah chapter 40.

“While we know that challenges of pandemic, politics and natural disaster are real, we as disciples of Jesus Christ know that his light guides us and provides us with hope, assuring us of his presence and Love,” he said. “In Advent, we hear the voice of John the Baptist calling us to prepare the way of the Lord, and at Christmas, we experience angels singing in glory, reminding us of his divine presence here and now. So we can run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint!”

This year’s Carol Sing was the 50th, and Miller, the director of Cathedral music ministries, commissioned a special new Christmas carol in honor of the milestone. The composer is James Syler, and the title of the composition is a new setting of Christina Rossetti’s text, In the Bleak Mid-Winter. 

“This piece received its world premiere at this year’s Carol Sing,” Miller said.

History of the Carol Sing

The Carol Sing has its origin in a surprising twist of events. In 1969, when John Rose was the Cathedral Director of Music and the Cathedral Concert Series was in its second season, an organ recital was scheduled for mid-December.

Due to a terrible snowstorm, the organist scheduled to perform that evening could not travel to Newark. With about 50 disappointed concertgoers on hand, Rose reacted quickly and invited everyone to the gallery to hear the music he was preparing for Christmas.

Then he led them in the singing of a few Christmas carols. Despite the inclement weather, the evening was so enjoyable that some suggested repeating the impromptu experience the following year.

In December 1970, the Cathedral Concert Series planned a program entitled The Carol Sing – a simple gathering of people in the Cathedral to sing carols. The event was a huge success and has continued each year.

Since then, The Candlelight Carol Sing in the Cathedral Basilica has become one of northern New Jersey’s highlight events drawing standing-room-only crowds. The success of this annual event has encouraged many churches to imitate the tradition within their communities.

The life of The Candlelight Carol Sing has developed over the years. The cathedral choir soon became an important part of the event, as did the addition of instrumentalists, soloists, and, of course, many candles.

What makes the Carol Sing truly unique is the people who come year after year, lifting their voices with the great cathedral organs in singing traditional carols. Without this enthusiastic component, the Carol Sing would be incomplete.

The highlight of the evening occurs in the final moments of the program when the assembly sings Silent Night in the glow of thousands of candles.

History of the Carol Sing provided by the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart’s music ministry.

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Photos: Archdiocese of Newark/Julio Eduardo Herrera