They’ll be back – the Daughters of St. Paul, that is. The singing nuns are expected to attract another capacity crowd when they present their popular Christmas concert at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 1007 Superior Ave., in downtown Cleveland.
Sister Anne Joan Flanagan said she and her fellow sisters are looking forward to the concert here.
Their first concert was 23 years ago in a New York parish to commemorate a community anniversary. “It was pretty low-key, especially compared to what we are doing now,” said Sister Anne.
The sisters have an extensive repertoire of Christmas and holiday songs. “We try to add one or two new ones every year and look for a mix of reflective, sacred songs and upbeat, fun ones. We have found this creates an optimum ‘evangelizing’ atmosphere,” Sister said, adding, “the concerts are an ideal family Christmas event.”
They rehearse for about seven to 10 days, usually in August after their annual retreat, to determine the order of songs, necessary props, etc. At Thanksgiving, the nuns have three or four more days of intense rehearsal before the first concert.
“Ideally, the choir would have 12 singers, but we’ve had to do with as few as nine,” Sister Anne said, due to sisters’ commitments.
“The concerts definitely are evangelizing moments. People have returned to the sacraments after years away from the Church because a song unexpectedly touched their heart. One family found healing after the 2001 terrorist attacks in which a loved one died. We hear beautiful stories from so many families,” Sister Anne said.
“We think part of the ‘secret sauce’ in these concerts is that they are, as strange as it might seem, a ‘neutral’ venue. The sisters are clearly enjoying what they are doing, singing their hearts out and having a great time. That gives even the most uptight member of the audience permission to relax and, in a way, puts them in a receptive place. Then the music and message can speak on their own terms.”
Did you know, the choir has recorded CD albums of inspirational, Marian and Christmas music, and since its founding in 1988, the choir has sold more than 1 million albums? The Dec. 8 concert is free, but an offering is accepted to help defray costs.
For more information on the Daughters of St. Paul choir, visit daughtersofstpaulchoir.org. Information about the congregation and its mission can be found at daughtersofstpaul.com. Find them on Facebook and follow @DaughterStPaul.