Director Debra Matthew is not sure exactly how many years she has directed her group of professional and amateur musicians at Saint Mark’s Anglican Church in Guadalajara in their annual Advent presentation combining nine biblical readings with sing-along carols and choral anthems.
“It’s been 25 or 30 years,” said Matthew, who has for decades also sung alto in the Coro del Estado de Jalisco. “I think we only paused Lessons and Carols for a year or two during the pandemic.”
Putting on the production, which includes seasonal refreshments afterwards, was easier in earlier years, starting around 1990, when the English-speaking congregation at St. Mark’s was much larger, around 200. The church has been growing of late under the leadership of senior warden William Chapman, treasurer Shammah Anu and other key people, but the current smaller congregation has to dig deep to support its small, year-round staff of music professionals as well as the additional five musicians hired for Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve and Easter.
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