Re-establishing an annual Christmas cantata was one of Steve Walker’s first priorities when he was hired 10 years ago as organist and choirmaster at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church.
While the minister at the time didn’t discourage the idea, he didn’t anticipate a big crowd, either, Walker recalls.
“He said the last time the choir had done a cantata at night, it had drawn less than two dozen people. So I decided to add a reception afterward, a new feature,” explains the choir director.
Or to paraphrase “Field of Dreams”: If you serve them, they will come.
That first Christmas special drew 70 concertgoers, considered successful since it tripled the previous performance. With each following Christmas, audiences grew – and so did the aftershow reception spread.
When this month’s Lessons and Carols program was presented, between 150 to 180 showed up, estimates Walker. The little East Brainerd church that averages 75 on Sunday mornings had doubled its attendance that night.
“Word’s gotten out about what a good program it is,” Walker says. “We have 16 in choir, but they are 16 good singers. A lot of church members bring friends or family and a lot of the Brainerd Hills community comes. The word’s out and they watch for it.”
Five years ago, when consistently growing attendance made it obvious the program was becoming established, church member Sue Steffner approached Walker about purchasing tablecloths, creating a theme and “doing it up right,” as he describes.
For this month’s 10th anniversary musical program, Steffner, Walker and Debbie Hackney created a winter wonderland theme featuring a 12-foot buffet with dessert on one end and fruit-and-cheese spread on the other. The table was centered by a three-tier red velvet cake that was flanked by round, tiered silver candelabrum with glass cups holding votive candles.
Between them, Walker, Steffner and Hackney made 880 cookies in four flavors for the sweets buffet. Hackney provided maple caramel cupcakes, and others helping prepare food were Marsena Walker and Clara Rheay. Darvin Roberts volunteered his creative services to design multiple fruit and cheese trays.
Live greens and berries were twisted with frosted strands of beads and white lights, flowing in and out of the platters of food. A coordinating design spiraled up the lamppost centerpieces on each guest table.
Work for the reception began in the summer when Steffner began buying decorations at Christmas-in-July sales. In September, she sewed red and silver tablecloths and chair covers for all the guest tables. She made 130 sashes for the chair covers, which had to be hung upside-down in order to hold their crispness until December.
“I worked on them three to five at a time. They were hung four to a coat hanger in my sewing room and in my husband’s workshop,” she describes.
One week before the program, they decorated the church sanctuary and put up frost garland. Either Steffner, Hackney, Walker or all three worked each weekday leading up to the Sunday performance, transforming the gymnasium into an icy winter wonderland. Sunday afternoon was spent arranging the food table.
“People were blown away,” says Walker. “Every year they say it’s prettier than the year before.”
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.
Cookie recipes
Thumbprint Cookies 1 cup butter 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 1/3 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups chopped nuts Cream butter and sugar together, add eggs and vanilla. Sift flour and salt together and add to butter mixture. Chill 2 hours. Shape or roll into balls, roll in nuts, place on cookie sheet and press thumb into center. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. When cool, fill thumbprint center with icing, jam or filling of choice. Nut Butter Balls 1 stick butter 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 3 tablespoons powdered sugar 1 cup flour 1 cup chopped pecans Cream butter and add sugar and vanilla. Add flour and nuts. Shape dough into small balls. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown. While still warm, roll in powdered sugar. Let cool and sugar again. Pretty Fruitcake Cookies 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 egg 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 cup chopped pecans 1 cup chopped dates 1 cup chopped red and green candied cherries Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well. Stir in flour and buttermilk. Add other ingredients and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Yields 6 dozen. Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 large eggs 1 cup chopped nuts 2 cups (12-ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate morsels Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.