St. Louis Cathedral will present its annual Christmas concert on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 5:30 p.m., featuring a full orchestra and the Concert Choir of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France. The concert is free and open to the public.

Under the musical direction of Sarah Jane McMahon Briscoe and Jesse Reeks, the program will tell the story of the Nativity through traditional Christmas carols such as O Come, All Ye Faithful;  O Holy Night; Ave Maria; What Child Is This?; Silent Night; Joy to the World; and Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, among others.

“We look forward to this concert all year,” said Sarah Jane McMahon Briscoe, Director of Sacred Music at St. Louis Cathedral. “Sharing these beloved and familiar songs with both parishioners and visitors from around the world is a beautiful reminder of the hope and joy of the season.”

Following the concert, guests are invited to continue the celebration outdoors with the Patio Planters of the Vieux Carré’s Caroling on the Square, a longtime holiday tradition in Jackson Square.

The Catholic Cultural Center of New Orleans strives to be a premier place for the exhibition, preservation and discussion of Catholic culture in the Southern United States. The Center leverages the deep history and beauty of its campus at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France and the Old Ursuline Convent (the oldest documented structure in the Mississippi River Valley), as well as the unique cultural context of New Orleans. Mindful of its work’s contribution to the well-being of the most vulnerable people in the community and beyond, it offers cultural experiences that reflect the faith, creativity, love of beauty, and critical minds of our region and the diversity of the people who built it.