Missouri Military Academy Celebrates Christmas with 83rd Annual Evensong

Missouri Military Academy (MMA) brought the Christmas story to life during its 83rd Evensong celebration on Saturday evening, Dec. 14, 2024. The traditional festival of music and prose was held at Mexico United Methodist Church, continuing a beloved holiday tradition for the MMA community.

Readings of the Christmas Story
The Christmas story was presented through live readings by Cadets Aidan Maristany-Diaz, Alvaro Gonzalez-Farre, Dallas Grantz, Cooper Johnston, Marcus Miller, Ryan Miles, Logan Lockhart, Alexander Pro and Cooper Johnston. 

Musical Performances
The evening featured a variety of musical pieces performed by cadet ensembles, including both instrumental and vocal arrangements:

Cadet Pipers
Cadets Mason Brooks, Zachary Sturgeon and Adam Swenson performed holiday classics, including "Ode to Joy," "Little Drummer Boy," "Angels from the Realms of Glory," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "O Come, All Ye Faithful." 

Cadet Choir
The Cadet Choir performed timeless carols, including "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "O, Come, O, Come, Emmanuel," "Dona Nobis Pacem," "O Magnum Mysterium" and "Joy to the World." Choir members include:

• Tenors: Cadets James Aldendifer, Bryan O’Dwyer-Moore, Trey Burle, Gihana Honour Neza and Jacob Stallone (Choir Leader)
• Baritones: Cadets Benjamin Bryant, River Punab-Mitchell (Section Leader) and Rueben Emukui Reyes
• Basses: Cadets Anandakhaan Batzaya, Irmuun Ganbat, Lukas Joiner (Section Leader) and Yalguun Tugs-ukhaan

Instrumental Ensemble
The prelude and postlude were performed by the MMA Instrumental Ensemble, which featured:

• Clarinets: Cadets Miles Matthews, Christopher Song, Hayden James and Jesus Robinson
• Alto Saxophone: Cadet Kruze Hagan
• French Horn: Cadet Michael Pfeifer
• Trumpets: Cadets Jacob Stallone, Sean Mumm, and Rfred Cordero
• Euphoniums: Cadets Sage Fuller, Ethan Gachuhi and Daniel Drabinski
• Tuba: Cadets Logan Lockhart and William Creighton
• Percussion: Cadets Gunnar Ward, Mu Ye, Chase von Savoye and Henry Scribner

Additionally, the MMA Woodwind Quartet — featuring Cadets Hagan, Matthews, James and Song—delivered a performance of “Auld Lang Syne.”

Special Choir Performances
The MMA Faculty and Friends Choir, joined by Cadets Stallone, Punab-Mitchell, Bryant and Joiner, performed “Waiting for a King.”

The same quartet of cadets also performed “Ave Maria” alongside Choir Director Ted Brauker. The evening culminated with the combined performance of “Silent Night/Night of Silence” (including a solo by Punab-Mitchell) and “Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow,” featuring soloists Cadets Stallone, Joiner, Bryant and Neza. Choir Director Ted Brauker closed the program with a solo of “O Holy Night.”

Following the Evensong performance, cadets celebrated with their barracks holiday parties.

View more holiday party photos here.

Thank you to all of the families who helped support this event!

A Tradition of Joy and Reflection
MMA Evensong is like the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, which takes place in King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, a British tradition dating back to Christmas Eve 1918, one month after the close of World War I. The Cambridge service was developed by Eric Milner-White, who was at the time the young, newly appointed dean of King’s College. Milner-White had previously served as an Army chaplain. 

MMA’s Evensong celebration began in 1941, a few weeks after the Japanese attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor, drawing the country into World War II. Since there was no Chapel on the MMA campus then, the performances took place in the gymnasium under the direction of Capt. Eugene Lamm. Since then, Evensong has traditionally served as a joyful start to the Christmas furlough. In 2013, MMA began the tradition of bringing Evensong to the community, hosting it in the historic Christopher Wren chapel on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, as well as First Presbyterian Church of Mexico and Mexico United Methodist Church.

View more photos here.