Provo’s traditional Carols by Candlelight now a two-day event
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- Reverend Keith Cupples preaches during a worship service held at the Provo Community Congregational United Church of Christ on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021.
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- Shirley Paxman, left, and Monroe Paxman sit for a portrait at their house in Provo in 2012. The Paxmans, 95, attended many concerts at the Provo Tabernacle through the years.
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- The Provo Interfaith Choir poses for a photo during a rehearsal Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, at the Community Congregational United Church of Christ in Provo.
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- Music director Dave Lewis, of Orem, conducts the Provo Interfaith Choir during a rehearsal Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, at the Community Congregational United Church of Christ in Provo.
Designing a traditional Christmas of candles, carols, and community would just create a copy of Provo’s Carols by Candlelight.
The Provo Community Congregational United Church of Christ, 175 N. University Avenue continues its long tradition of hosting the celebrated Christmas celebration at 7 p.m. on Sunday and, for the first time, also on Monday. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. Face masks are recommended.
The 43rd annual event is free and open to the community.
The evening will include music by the Utah Valley Interfaith Choir, Utah Children’s Choir and the Garden Valley Pipe Band with messages shared by Steve Sandberg and Rev. J. Keith Cupples.
The two-night event will also feature a showcase of more than 100 creches (Nativities) and honors for the Monroe and Shirley Paxman family, the founders of Carols by Candlelight. Their grandson, Isaac Paxman, is on the committee and represents the city of Provo as the mayor’s chief deputy. Refreshments will be served.
“Carols by Candlelight began in 1978 and has become a tradition spanning now over four decades,” said Kenna Mathews, spokeswomen for the event. “Long-time Provo residents, Shirley and Monroe Paxman (now deceased), started this now-beloved event humbly within their home.”
The evening was filled with scripture readings, carol singing, and of course, candle lighting, celebrating the anticipation and celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, according to Mathews.
Eventually, word spread. As its popularity grew, Carols by Candlelight became too large to hold within the Paxman home. The Provo Community Church became part of this tradition as hundreds now participate every year.
Now under the artistic direction of David Lewis, planning for the event begins a year or more in advance, with participation from various performers, groups, and narrators from a range of backgrounds within Utah Valley.
The Provo Community Church, as it is known locally, was founded 130 years ago in 1891 by members of different religious backgrounds coming together for a stronger presence in a growing community.
The church has grown from a humble Sunday school class to a well-known historic church and community center in downtown Provo.
“The church is currently raising funds to repair, restore, renovate, and expand this beautiful and historic community cornerstone to help the church remain an open and affirming faith organization and to continue and grow as one of the only places for secular community gatherings downtown Provo,” Mathews said.
Donations and more information about the campaign can be found at http://keepingthefaithprovo.org. For more information about the Carols event or the church restoration project, contact Dave Lewis at dlewis.pccucc@gmail.com.
