Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1921-12-30
SAVIOUR'S BIRTH
COMMEMORATIVE
Special Features in Brattlcboro
Churches Sunday
Congregations in General Not as Large
as Usual Gil Christmas ISunAay-Can-
tata Rendered in Centre Church

tata Rendered in Centre Church
With few exceptions the audiences at
the services in the various churches sun
day were unusually small for Christmas
Sunday Observance. but this was attrib-
utcd to the fact that many families were
away for the holidays while others were
entertaining guests. Special musical pro
grams were arranged in every church for
one or more services and Christmas eAcr-
cscs were conducted in some of the sun
day schools Impressive musical pro-
grams were carried out at the midnight
services in st. AlchaplS Roman Catholic
and St MChacl'S Episcopal churches
Saturday night. as well as at some of
the later services and the customary
Julotta was sung at the Swedish Luth-
Gran church at $50 o'clock Christmas
morning. Decorations in. all of the
churches were appropriate to the day and
consisted largely Of evCrgrcenS, spruce
trees and cut flowers.
Aside from the regular morning service
with special sermon and music, and an
interesting candle lighting service at &
O'Clock by the young people, the feature
of the Christmas Sunday service in the
Methodist Episcopal church was a rag
cant entitled Bethlehem. at 80 in the
evening. This and the singing of carols
by the congregation and special musical
numbers by the choir and orchestra took
up the entire time of the evening service
The pageant was given in costume by
about 30 persons and was rendered inn
prcSSivcly. the effect being heightened by
the use of colored lighting effects with
singing from the balcony in the rear y
large congregation was present
An elaborate muSica' Program with Il
full choir, # - voices with organ and
rrchoStrH accom- pHnimput vas arranged
at st. AIichaers Roman Catholic church
for the midnight mass Saturday night as
the Christmas observance and the chill
drcn'S choir rendered special music dur
ing the o'clock mass. The 1920 o'clock
mass was followed by the bcncdiction of
the Most Blessed Sacrament.
WrcGths. spruce trees and carnations
We're used effectively for decorations in
the Centre Congregational church. The
Sunday school session for adults was
omitted and all attended special exercise,
in the junior department. Il feature of
which was the prcseutationg of framed
picture in Scpia tint of the Christ child
to Mrs. +. W. Kucch, former suprrin
afternoon at , o'clock the cantata, The
Birth of Christ by Woolcr. was presented
by II voices. those in addition to the reg
ular choir being Mrs. c. Il. Cushman
Mrs. Irving C. Ellis. George VI. Clay and
Christie Il. Crowell. At this service n
short pageant entitled The Story of the
Nativity was presented in an effective
manner introducing the wcll-inown Bible
characters of the story in costume. and
at the proper time the children brought
their white gifts and placed them on the
platform. to be sent to the Alright mis-
sion in New Work as has been done by
this Sunday school for many years.
At the Unitarian church spruce boughs
and cvergrccns We're used for decorations
igh
held. The sermon and music were APP
proprate to Christmas.
Laurel ropes and wroaths made up the
principal decorations at St AIichael's
(EpiscopaD church, where midnight
service began the observance of Christ
mas. There also were services at = and
1920 O'Clock in the forenoon and 40
O'Clock in the evening.
The Advent Christian church was Gee
Grated with green and red. with the
words Merry Christmas" across the front
of the church. Red and green Christmas
bells and Christmas trees were used. In
the evening lighted candle was placed
in each window.
beautifully decorated Christmas tree
ferns. and lighted candle in each win
dow composed the decorations at the
Swedish Lutheran church, where SEP
vice was held at 5.30 o'clock in the
morning with the customary Julottn. \
children : program, most of which was
carried out in Swedish. in the evening
consisted of the singing of Christmas
carols and the speaking of pieces. Re
frcShmentS were served.
Christmas trees and other cvcrgrecnS,
with white flowers were used in dccora-
tions at the First Baptist church. the
decorations being in charge of + V.
Morscs class of boys. The choir was aug
mcntcd by extra instrumental music at
the morning service. Brief special exer-
ciscH were conducted at the opening of
the Sunday school. y baptismal service
was conducted in the evening, four per-
sons being baptized.
Elaborate decorations were carried out
at the First Inivcrsalist church. laurel
spruce trees. Jerusalem cherry trees. pots
of narcissus and cut flowers being used in
profuSion. The Christmas program of the
Sunday school followed the morning
church service and included the singing
of> carols. The program was SO arranged
as to depict various scripture pass; gcS
appropriate to Christmas.