Harlem’s Cathedral Church Of Saint John The Divine Rings In Christmas With Joyful Music!

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine invites all to experience the magic of the holiday season at the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world.

In addition to three services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the Cathedral will offer a wide array of musical and cultural programming to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

“As a house of prayer for all people, we welcome everyone to join us in embracing the holiday spirit through song, dance, art, and culture,” said Laura Bosley, Executive Director, Cathedral Programming. “New York City is an enchanting place during the holidays, and we are so thrilled to participate in this joyous time of year by offering a variety of cultural experiences and traditional seasonal programming, from our annual crafts fair and El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered performance to Christmas services, holiday concerts, and so much more. We are especially excited for this year’s Cathedral Christmas Concert featuring the much-anticipated return of the Great Organ, which began the reinstallation process in September.”

Holiday highlights throughout December 2024 include:

• 26^th Annual Crafts at the Cathedral (Friday, December 6 to Sunday, December 8) – Just in time for the holiday shopping season, New York City’s premier fine juried crafts show returns to the Cathedral’s magnificent interior. Find the most unique gifts with over 75 artisans offering handcrafted, one-of-a-kind items in ceramic, glass, wood, fabric, and jewelry. Tickets range from $10-18 and can be purchased here. Proceeds benefit the Cathedral’s work and its programs.

• Cathedral Christmas Concert & the Return of the Great Organ (Saturday, December 14) – Join the Cathedral Choirs and Orchestra for the annual Christmas Concert and sing along to jolly holiday classics. Now at an earlier, family-friendly time, the concert will begin at 4 pm with tickets starting at $55. The concert will also feature the much-anticipated return of the Great Organ (Aeolian-Skinner Op. 150A) after five years. For tickets, see here.

• El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered (Thursday, December 19) – As part of the Cathedral’s traditional holiday programming, the American Modern Opera Company will once again perform El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered with music by John Adams, musical arrangements by Christian Reif, libretto compilation by Peter Sellars, and concept by AMOC* member Julia Bullock, which is an eclectic retelling of the Nativity story celebrating Latin American poets and the voices of women. The reimagined piece will return for a one-night-only engagement at 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $5 and can be purchased here.

• Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Services at the Cathedral (Tuesday, December 24 and Wednesday, December 25) – All of the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services will be available in person and via livestream. No passes or reservations are required.
  • Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols (Tuesday, December 24) – The Service of Lessons and Carols is a classical element of Anglican Liturgy, first instituted for Christmas Eve 1880 at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Truro. This beloved Christmas service begins at 4 pm, with a musical prelude at 3:45 pm. 
  • Christmas Eve Festal Eucharist (Tuesday, December 24) – The Cathedral’s Christmas Eve Festal Eucharist, beginning with prelude music at 10 pm, is a joyous celebration of the birth of the Light. The clergy will welcome congregants from near and far in the spirit of the Christmas  season. The Cathedral Choirs, along with the Cathedral Orchestra and organ, perform a festive mass setting and anthems, as well as classic Christmas carols.
  • Christmas Day Holy Eucharist (Wednesday, December 25) – Alleluia, Christ is born! Join the Cathedral in celebrating the birth of Christ at the one service to take place this day at 10:30 am.

• 40^th Anniversary of the New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace (Tuesday, December 31) – Ring in the New Year with the Cathedral’s New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace, celebrating 40 years of hope and optimism through music. This year’s concert will feature a special performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony by the Cathedral Choirs and Orchestra, commemorating the 200^th anniversary of the composition’s premiere. The event begins at 7 pm and tickets start at $45. Click here to purchase.

In addition to these festive end-of-year events, visitors still have time to experience Janet Cardiff’s The Forty Part Motet, an innovative sound installation on loan from The Museum of Modern Art until Tuesday, December 31. The Cathedral will also debut a new immersive art exhibit, Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition, from Friday, November 15 until January 31, 2025, taking guests on a vivid journey through 850 years of Notre-Dame’s remarkable history through cutting-edge augmented reality.

For more information and a calendar of events, visit www.stjohndivine.org and follow on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok @StJohnDivineNYC.

The Cathedral

As the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world founded in 1892, the trustees of the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine conceived its mission to be a house of prayer for all people, an instrument of church unity, and a center of intellectual light and leading in the spirit of Jesus Christ.

Today, as the mother church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and the seat of its bishop, the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine serves the many diverse people of our diocese, city, nation and world through the worship of God; pastoral, educational and community outreach activities; cultural and civic events; international ecumenical initiatives; and the preservation of the great architectural and historic site that is its legacy.

Photo credit: The Cathedral.

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