We feature events at St. James’ in the City fairly regularly in this space, and with good reason: under the leadership and superb musicianship of director and organist James Buonemani, this church has consistently presented some of the best music in town for more than a decade. Nestled in the crook between Hancock Park and Koreatown, St. James’ is home to a diverse multi-lingual congregation, one of the best organs around, one of the top private schools in the area, and unusually active, finely tuned choirs. Monthly events such as Evensong and Compline services, an exceptional organ series that attracts the world’s best keyboard talent, and an ongoing service schedule that features glorious music throughout have made this Episcopal treasure an important landmark in the local musical landscape, and their fans live far beyond their congregational reach: their hefty mailing list draws concertgoers and occasional worshippers from considerable distances on a regular basis.
But it is at Christmas that St. James’ is at its peak. The annual Lessons & Carols service is carefully prepared and beautifully executed each year, filled to the brim with gorgeous selections from the Anglican tradition and the contemporary masters. The augmented choir is comprised of many of the best and brightest local singers, as this challenging environment both requires and draws the very best talent available.
Enough gushing. You simply won’t want to miss this. Once you’ve experienced Christmas at St. James’, it’s likely to become an anticipated tradition.
An Advent Procession of Lessons and Carols
Sunday, December 11, 4:30pm
St. James’ Episcopal Church 3903 Wilshire Blvd. (near Western)
Los Angeles, CA
Free church parking on the west side of Gramercy, one block north of Wilshire. (Come early to find your spot!) By metro: Red Line to Wilshire/Western Station
(then walk two blocks west)
For more information, call (213) 388-3015 or click here.
Originally published in the 12/8/11 issue of Next 7: Vocal events through 12/14/11
NOTE: The original post and newsletter inadvertently showed this event date as
“Sunday, December 12”. Our sincere apologies for the error.
As the date was listed correctly (as the 11th) everywhere else on the site and in Next 7’s sidebar listings, we hope readers will catch the mistake and attend in force. I’ll be there! Lauri
