An old favorite goes virtual as Fresno Pacific University presents “God So Loved the World – A Festival of Lessons and Carols,” the annual program of Scripture passages and seasonal carols woven together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Due to COVID-19, people will be able to enjoy this year’s event free in the comfort of their own homes.
“Lessons & Carols” tells the story of the promise of the Messiah and the birth of Jesus in nine lessons beginning with Genesis and including the prophetic books of the Bible and the Gospels. The program is based on a Church of England service first performed in 1918 at King’s College, Cambridge University.
The presentation will be available for viewing Nov. 27 through Dec. 27, and feature eight FPU music ensembles performing a wide range of historic and contemporary music, from traditional Christmas carols to a newly commissioned choral work by Walter Saul, D.M.A., emeritus music professor at FPU. Register for free tickets at lessonsandcarols2020.eventbrite.com
The ensembles will be: Chamber Winds, Concert Choir, Men’s Chorus, Women’s Chorale, Crosswind, Pacific Bronze Handbells, Pacific Brass and Symphonic Band.
Fresno Pacific University is the only accredited Christian university founded in the Central Valley. FPU offers undergraduate, graduate and seminary programs that stress solid academic preparation and a strong ethical foundation to about 4,000 traditional and adult students on the main campus in southeast Fresno and regional campuses in North Fresno, Visalia, Bakersfield and Merced as well as online. The university also reaches about 8,000 students through professional development studies. FPU has the highest four-year graduation rate of any Central Valley college or university, is a Hispanic Serving Institution, with a Hispanic student population of 47 percent. FPU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and ranked in the top tier among western universities—master’s category by U.S. News & World Report. Both U.S. News and Washington Monthly include FPU on their “Best Value” and “Best Bang for the Buck” lists, U.S. News places it at number three in its category for student social mobility and Money magazine ranks it at number 11 among 50 Best Colleges for Transfer Students. A description of the unique quality of FPU as an academic community can be found in the Fresno Pacific University Idea at fresno.edu/about/fpu_idea.
