A couple of downtown churches have for many years been offering a "Longest Night" service of music and candle-lit prayers.
Now, with COVID less of a threat, Trinity and St. Andrews are going back to a more traditional event.
"The Advent and Christmas seasons can inspire profound highs and lows in our lives," says Rev.Ted Harrison of Trinity United Church.
"The last couple of years we had to tweak the service significantly to make it 'Covid friendly' and a part of that was making it available through YouTube for people hesitant to appear in person.
"Over the period of Covid isolation, we maintained our Trinity tradition of teaming up with St Andrews to host a service of candlelit prayer and of heartfelt string music with gifted musicians “Depatie and Hyatt” in the Trinity sanctuary. (see video below)
"They provide gorgeous haunting string music and melodic singing, while attendees have several opportunities to light prayer candles for various pastoral concerns. This kind of service is sometimes called a 'Blue Christmas' because it acknowledges that this time of year can be challenging for many of us."
Harrison says the churches will offer the event again on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. which is actually the winter solstice, and in North Bay is at 4:48. This day is 6 hours, 31 minutes shorter than the summer solstice.
Depatie & Hyatt is a locally based duo consisting of Sam Depatie on fiddle, guitar, and vocals, and Ariel Hyatt on guitar, vocals, and darbuka, a single headed drum with a goblet-shaped body.
Depatie is the owner/director of Samantha's Fiddle and Stepdance School, a solo artist and session musician. Hyatt is a fiddle, stepdance, and guitar instructor as well as a student of the Darbuka, a traditional Turkish drum.
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