BY GABE HERMAN | St. Peter’s Church Chelsea will host the 45th Annual Candlelight Carol Service on Sunday, Dec. 15, featuring music and a reading of the poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” The event, at 6 p.m., is sponsored by Chelsea Community Church, and will be at 346 W. 20 St., between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. The free event will also include music by the choir, congregational singing and Scripture readings. The famous poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” better known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” was written by Clement Clarke Moore, who founded the church and was the first organist in the sanctuary where the service will be. The church dates back to 1831 and was built on Moore’s Chelsea estate.
The poem will be read by actor and Chelsea resident Michael James Leslie, whose credits include Broadway performances in “Hair,” “The Wiz,” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” The choir will be accompanied by organ, bass and percussion, and music will range from the 16th to 21st centuries, according to the church. The performance will include works by Handl, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and gospel pieces. The Candelight Carol Service has been put on by the Chelsea Community Church, as a nondenominational congregation, every year since 1975.
