On Saturday, December 13, 2008, over twenty friends and members of the Hayr Soorp’s Café met in Manhattan for their annual Christmas outing. The beautiful and festive evening began with a group dinner, complete with wine and much laughter, at Campo, an Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side. After dinner, a brief walk in the refreshing December air brought the group to their concert destination – the newly opened and fully renovated Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine – where more friends gathered.

The Cathedral Christmas Concert opened with “Carol Suite for Brass and Organ,” by the San Marco Brass Quintet, arranged by Tim Brumfield, Cathedral organist, interim music director and choirmaster at Saint John the Divine. “A Ceremony of Carols” followed, sung in procession by the angelic voices of the young members of the Cathedral Choristers. As the procession moved closer to the audience, their voices became louder and resonated even more beautifully within the walls of the magnificent cathedral. Complemented by the melodic chords of the harp, all present felt chills down their spines. After a medley of Christmas carols, the harpist offered a solo interlude so breathtaking that not a sound was to be heard in the Cathedral.

The concert continued with more Christmas carols sung by the Cathedral Choristers. As each song was sung, the eyes of the audience members could be seen drifting to the dome and the stained glass windows of the Cathedral, with scenes depicting the Apostles. Timeless tapestries of the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi hung elegantly on each side of the Cathedral. Each architectural element brought one back to a place of peace with background music befitting the season. As the audience stood in unison to sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” the presence of the angels could almost be felt among the crowd.

The Christmas Concert concluded with a powerful rendition of the traditional melody “Greensleeves,” highlighting the soft yet bold tones of the cello. “Fantasia on Christmas Carols,” by Ralph Vaughn Williams, accompanied by Juilliard Senior, James Wetzel (baritone) set the momentum for the final carols of the evening. The evening ended with the audience singing “Joy to the World” in unison once again.

The festivities of the evening continued, as friends and members of the Hayr Soorp’s Café took pictures by the origami-decorated Christmas tree in the entrance of the Cathedral. A short walk to Le Monde, a French café near the Cathedral, was the group’s final destination. Enjoying tea, coffee and delicious (and beautifully decorated) desserts, the Hayr Soorp’s Café group was grateful once again to come together with Fr. Vahan for a memorable evening of beautiful Christian fellowship during the Christmas season.