Offering an evening of tranquil beauty and quiet reflection during what too often becomes the most hectic time of the year, our Christmas Vespers CD features a powerful performance of some of the oldest music in the Western world. Many of the hymns and chants—performed by the Monks and Novices of Saint Frideswide, with Jon Banks on harp—have medieval English origins. The complete program, running just over an hour, and beginning and ending with entrancing chiming bells, provides a soothing and uplifting escape from modern hassles and seasonal stresses.