Local Children Selected to Sing Morning Star Solo at Vespers Services

Bethlehem, Pa., December 4, 2015—Moravian College's traditional Christmas Vespers services featuring the Moravian College Choir, conducted by Paula Ring Zerkle, will be held this weekend, December 4, 5, 6, and next, December 11, 12, and 13, at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem. The Christmas Vespers services are held for the immediate college community and invited guests. The services will be attended by over 4,000 invited students, faculty, staff and their families, friends of the College, and alumni.

Moravian Theological Seminary graduate Francis Florentine Hagen composed “Morning Star” in 1836. The Morning Star hymn is traditionally sung by a child soloist and each year. Auditions are held for the positions in September. The soloist, choir, and congregation join in singing the hymn as the church lights are dimmed and the beeswax candles are distributed by members of the college and seminary community.

For Moravian’s Vespers services, five local children were selected to sing the solo portions of the traditional Moravian hymn “Morning Star.The following soloists were selected by the Moravian College Music Department to sing at the annual vespers program:

• Emily Kozero will be the featured Morning Star soloist at the December 4 service. She is the daughter of Paula Bachochin ‘92 and Rick Kozero of Hellerton, Pa. Emily is 9 years old and a 4th grade student at Saucon Valley Elementary School.
• Emily Masters will be the featured Morning Star soloist at the November 21 preview night and December 5 service. She is the daughter of Lynn Masters and Thomas Masters of Bethlehem, Pa. Emily is 13 years old and an 8th grade student at Nitschmann School District.
• Alyssa Vella will be the featured Morning Star soloist at the December 6 and 13 services. She is the daughter of Lisa Vella and Chris Vella of Allentown, Pa. She is 12 years old and a 7th grade student at Lehigh Christian Academy.
• Somak Roy will be the featured Morning Star soloist at the December 11 service. He is the son of Soma Roy and Sougata Roy of Bethlehem, Pa. He is 11 years old and a 6th grade student at East Hills Middle School.
• Mehreen Hussain will be the featured Morning Star soloist at the December 12 service. She is the daughter of Dr. Muniza Shah and Azmai Hussain of Bethlehem, Pa. She is 10 years old and a 5th grade student at Moravian Academy.

Moravian College is a private coeducational liberal arts college, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For over 273 years, the Moravian College degree has been based on a liberal arts curriculum where literature, history, cultural values and global issues, ethics, and aesthetic expression and the social sciences are infused with multidisciplinary perspectives.