Rupert Lang has been a musical institution at Christ Church Cathedral for nearly 40 years.
Christ Church Cathedral has a unique power of attraction – not just because of its location in the downtown core, and not just because it is Anglican, a denomination which has, at times, stood in for Canada’s national church.
Arguably the biggest draw has been its music – the sheer number and quality of musical presentations over the decades have been impressive.
And for almost 40 years, one man has had a lot to do with that impressive showing. Rupert Lang has served as Organist and Director of Music at the cathedral since 1986. His remarkable ministry will be recognized this Sunday evening (December 15, 7 – 9:30) during Voices of Gratitude.
The Christ Church write-up says:
For nearly four decades, Rupert Lang has been an integral part of the Christ Church Cathedral community, enriching the spiritual and cultural life of Vancouver through his exceptional musical leadership.
His tenure has been marked by a dedication to excellence in sacred music, fostering a vibrant and inclusive musical community within the Cathedral. Throughout his tenure, Rupert has led with kindness, humour and meticulous attention to detail, both musical and liturgical.
He led the Cathedral Choir to such a dominant position in the CBC’s National Amateur Choral Competition that, after the choir won it three times in a row, took a year off and returned to win it again, CBC retired the category!
Dr. Lang’s music is commissioned and sung by choirs worldwide and featured in both liturgical and concert settings. Several of his works are published by Boosey & Hawkes of New York and Vancouver’s Cypress Choral Music, and many have been premiered by the Cathedral Choir during Cathedral services.
In 2021, Rupert received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from the Vancouver School of Theology and was named an Honorary Fellow of Canada’s Summer Institute of Church Music in recognition of his lifetime dedication to church music. In the same year, Lang received a Lambeth Award – the Thomas Cranmer Award for Worship – in recognition of his outstanding lifetime contribution to church music.
Voices of Gratitude will be a joyful tribute to Rupert’s contributions, with heartfelt speeches, carefully chosen music – and a few surprises. It is an opportunity for the community to come together in gratitude and celebration of his enduring legacy.
Speaking on the occasion of Lang’s 30th anniversary at Christ Church, Michael Ingham, retired bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster, said:
Rupert will be embarrassed if I say – but I do want to say – that the music in this Cathedral over the last 30 years has enabled many people to murmur in the quiet of their hearts – this is the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.
It was here once, in the dead of night, that Rupert came in search of an answer. He had been commissioned to compose a piece of music for Chor Leoni to be performed on Remembrance Day. As the day drew nearer, Rupert’s creativity abandoned him. No muse spoke. God was silent. In a certain anxiety of spirit, he let himself into the building, long after midnight, and sat alone at the piano.
He picked up a prayer book. The pages fell open to the funeral liturgy, and his eyes saw the words “Give rest unto your servants with your saints, O God, where there is neither pain nor sorrow, neither sighing but life everlasting.” And in a moment of epiphany the music came to him. Today we have one of the most beautiful and timeless compositions ever to emerge from this place. Rupert’s gorgeous Kontakion is now performed all over the world.
Go here for tickets; there are not many left.
Sham MAiD ‘consultation’
A December 4 article by Terry O’Neill in The B.C. Catholic suggest that the federal Liberals are continuing their push to liberalize access to euthanasia – and are not keen to hear opposing views:
B.C. pro-life leaders are crying foul over what they charge is a rigged Health Canada consultation on medical assistance in dying (MAiD), saying it’s aimed at suppressing opposition to the legalization of advance requests as Quebec is doing.
Abbotsford MP Ed Fast said in a statement to The B.C. Catholic that he fears the consultations will advance “confusion and abuse of Canada’s MAiD regime.”
Dr. Will Johnston, a Vancouver family doctor who leads the Euthanasia Resistance Coalition of B.C., echoed Fast’s concerns, calling the consultation process “a sham” designed to deliver pre-determined support for further liberalizing Canada’s euthanasia law. . . .
Johnston and Fast’s concerns centre on Health Canada’s late-November launch of what it calls a “national conversation on advance requests.”
Under current law, persons cannot make a legally binding request to be euthanized at a future date. Typically, the issue arises when a person is diagnosed with a progressively debilitating disease, such as dementia.
When first diagnosed, the patient may have the legal capacity to request MAiD but does not want to be euthanized until sometime in the future when their condition worsens – at which time the patient’s deteriorated mental capacity would render them incapable of meeting the legal requirements to access MAiD. . . .
Fast accused the government of intending to “inform” rather than consult, comparing this process to its earlier attempt to expand MAiD to include the mentally ill.
The national conversation still does not appear to have begun as of December 11. Go here for the full B.C. Catholic article.
A Christmas Carol
A few years ago, History Extra (the official website for BBC History magazine) asked, “Did Charles Dickens invent Christmas as we know it today?”:
Thanks to his seminal 1843 novel A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens is often credited with inventing winter festivities as we know them. His book of literary favourites, including Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the host of Christmas ghosts, are thought to define the ‘Dickensian Christmas’ – but is Dickens’s pioneering reputation really deserved?
Not alone, the writer said:
“Dickens, it may truly be said, is Christmas,” said the literature scholar VH Allemandy in 1921. However, important though he undoubtedly was, Dickens did not create Christmas.
Rather, he reflected a general early 19th century interest in the season and was part of a widespread, particularly middle-class, desire to reinvigorate its ancient customs
And Dickens’ A Christmas Carol remains a perennial favourite – this year more than ever in Vancouver. Four productions, at least, are presenting dramatically different takes on the novella:
- Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol
The show “delivers on the simplicity of its message of faith, family and love,” according to Broadwayworld.com.
Here is the show’s description:
Set during the 1930s in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, this uplifting musical reimagines Ebenezer Scrooge as the owner of a mining company town, where his callous greed blinds him to the joys of the season.
As a Christmas Eve snowstorm approaches, Scrooge is visited by his deceased business partner and three ghosts who compel him to see life and love anew. Dickens’s classic characters and Parton’s one-of-a-kind songwriting make this the holiday event to share with friends and family.
Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol will be at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage until December 24.
- A Christmas Carol
This version “merges music, community and celebrating the spirit of Christmas”:
This cherished tale has profoundly shaped the imagery and modern meaning of Western Christmas, illustrating Dickens’ masterful ability to evoke empathy and inspire change.
Experience the transformative journey of Scrooge, as the ghost of his former business partner and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future guide him to reflect on his life.
Performed by Leslie Dos Remedios, along with recorded voices from our North Shore community, featuring live music performed by a full jazz band of talented students from Sentinel Secondary in West Vancouver.
.The co-production of A Christmas Carol by Elsinor Centro di Produzione Teatrale and Presentation House Theatre runs until December 15 at Presentation House Theatre in North Vancouver.
- A Christmas Carol: A Reading by CBC & Local Celebrities
This reading is a yearly tradition:
Enjoy a timeless reading of A Christmas Carol, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a bleak lonely character who is moved by loving charity from “Bah Humbug!” to “Merry Christmas!”
Readers this year include CBC’s Bob MacDonald, Amy Bell and Dan Burritt, along with author and comedian Charlie Demers. “It’s an evening filled with warmth and music and surprises!” says Sheryl MacKay, retired host of CBC’s North by Northwest.
Proceeds go to St. Philip’s Outreach to gift grocery cards to families facing food insecurity, as identified by elementary school family workers.
This reading of A Christmas Carol will take place at St. Philip’s Anglican Church December 15.
- Crescendo Operatic Society & United Churches of Langley present A Christmas Carol
This Christmas Carol will be presented in lightly staged concert form with narration, acting, costumes, singing and dancing.
The beloved novella by Charles Dickens, first published in 1843, tells a heartwarming story of the personal transformation of the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge. From 1849 until the year of his death, Dickens performed public readings of the story, which were so successful that they became a beloved Christmas-time tradition widespread in the English-speaking world.
The Crescendo’s performance captures all the warmth, goodwill and musical memories of the holiday season. The spirited ensemble of actors and singers from all over Lower Mainland is led by Dolores Scott, Artistic Director/Producer, and Natan Bàdue, conductor.
A selection of favourite traditional Christmas carols will be sung throughout. this Langley version of A Christmas Carol.
See below for several more timely productions, including:
- Pacific Theatre: The Hobbit
- Pacific Theatre: Christmas Presence
- Home for Christmas with Brian Doerksen & Friends
- Christmas Tales
And for many other Christmas-related concerts and fairs.
Events & Jobs
Events are listed below, but there is also an Events page and a Jobs page on the Church for Vancouver site.
Dec 2024
1525: Reform & Revolution – December 12, 2024 - February 21, 2025 at 12:00 am
Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol – December 12, 2024 - December 24, 2024 at All Day
for KING + COUNTRY’s A Drummer Boy Christmas – December 12, 2024 - December 18, 2024 at All Day
The Hobbit – December 12, 2024 - December 21, 2024 at All Day
Comfort Sakoma Townhall Series – December 12, 2024 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Speed Dating: Christian Singles (Ages 31-42) – December 12, 2024 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Hope Alight: Carols by Candlelight (2 events) – December 13, 2024 - December 14, 2024 at All Day
Singing Christmas Tree – December 13, 2024 - December 15, 2024 at All Day
Dustin Bentall & The Blue Wranglers – December 13, 2024 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
A Christmas Carol – December 14, 2024 - December 15, 2024 at All Day
North Shore Community Christmas Dinner (volunteers needed before event) – December 14, 2024 at All Day
Keith Miller: Contemporary Challenges to the Pursuit of Truth – December 14, 2024 at 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Bez Christmas Open House – December 14, 2024 at 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Blue Christmas Retreat – December 14, 2024 at 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Night of the Father’s Love – December 14, 2024 at 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Vivaldi Chamber Choir: A Classical Christmas – December 14, 2024 at 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Laudate Singers' Free Family Christmas Concert – December 14, 2024 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Bethlehem Walk – December 14, 2024 at 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Christmas Market – December 14, 2024 at 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Home For Christmas 2024, with Brian Doerksen & Friends – December 14, 2024 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The Interruption: God With Us (2 shows) – December 14, 2024 - December 15, 2024 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Good Tidings! A Good Noise Gospel Christmas – December 14, 2024 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Christmas Presence 2024 (seven shows) – December 15, 2024 - December 23, 2024 at All Day
Merry & Bright: a Sea to Sky Wind Ensemble charity concert – December 15, 2024 at 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Christmas Candlelight – December 15, 2024 at 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Christmas Tales, featuring Bez Gospel Choir – December 15, 2024 at 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
New Westminster Christmas Concert – December 15, 2024 at 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Home Alone 2 – December 15, 2024 at 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Brian Doerksen: Home for Christmas (a TV special) – December 15, 2024 at 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
A Christmas Carol: A Reading by CBC and local celebrities – December 15, 2024 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Night of the Father’s Love – December 15, 2024 at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Sing-Along Messiah with United Voices Choir – December 15, 2024 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Voices of Gratitude: Celebrating Rupert Lang's Ministry at Christ Church Cathedral – December 15, 2024 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
City Dream Centre Christmas Project 2024: Volunteer Opportunities – December 16, 2024 - December 17, 2024 at All Day
Regent Bookstore Christmas Sale – December 16, 2024 - December 20, 2024 at 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Good Tidings! A Good Noise Gospel Christmas – December 16, 2024 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Christmas Carols – December 17, 2024 at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Community Christmas Dinner (2 sittings) – December 19, 2024 at 11:45 am - 2:00 pm
Blue Christmas – December 19, 2024 at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Christmas Tales, featuring Bez Gospel Choir (2 shows) – December 20, 2024 - December 21, 2024 at All Day
Blue Christmas Service – December 20, 2024 at 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
West Coast Symphony: A Winter's Eve – December 20, 2024 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Vancouver Cantata Singers: The 21st Christmas Reprise at Holy Rosary Cathedral – December 21, 2024 at 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Christmas Pipe Organ Concert with audience singing – December 21, 2024 at 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Vancouver Cantata Singers: The 21st Christmas Reprise at Sanctuary on 6th – December 21, 2024 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Early Music Vancouver: Festive Cantatas: Bach & Zelenka – Vancouver – December 22, 2024 at 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Contemplative Taizé – December 22, 2024 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Juste Chanter Gospel Choir: Christmas Gospel Choir – December 22, 2024 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service – December 24, 2024 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Worship Invasion New Year's Eve Praise Party! – December 31, 2024 at 9:00 pm - 11:45 pm