St. Mary's prepares "Come Home For Christmas"

Dec. 9—GREENSBURG — The cantata "Come Home for Christmas: The Christmas Story Shared through Song" is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, in the Sanctuary of St. Mary's Catholic Church, 1331 E. Hunter Robbin's Way, Greensburg.

The age-old tale of Joseph and Mary's trek to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve has been rehearsing since September and Director Kristy Lowe and the music ministry of St. Mary's Church have been busy building sets, learning music and practicing their cues.

"Honestly, this is probably the biggest production I've been in charge of," Lowe said.

Lowe feels that her participation in large productions at Purdue University during her under-grad years and her experience leading the Children's Choir at St. Mary's for more than 22 years prepared her for this show.

She had an idea for an original cantata and pitched it to some of her former choir members and other members of St. Mary's music program. They were all for it.

And so the work began.

The libretto for "Come Home for Christmas" is taken from Scripture and the traditional hymns and carols Lowe found in previous productions and through research on the internet.

The cast and crew were selected in September, with solo vocalists meeting for the first time later in the month. The choir and the instrumentalists started rehearsing the first of October, and the work continued from there.

Rehearsing blocking and cues, practicing the music and building the sets — Lowe said it's a lot of work. But for her, her family, the musicians, vocalists and the set crew, it's a labor of love.

"At the end of the day, none of us are professionals. Just ordinary people who love God and want to share His story with others in a way we can identify with, through music," she said.

Admission for "Come Home for Christmas" is free, with doors open and a dessert reception beginning at 5 p.m.

Contact Bill Rethlake at 812-651-0876 or email bill.rethlake@greensburgdailynews.com