How Pa Church Musicians Prepare for Christmas Services and Favorite Carols
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Asia Tabb
AIRED; December 23, 2025
Listen to the podcast to hear the full conversation.
Christmas planning starts far earlier than most people realize for church musicians, often months before the holiday season arrives. On The Spark, Asia Tabb spoke with Tyler Canonico-Dilley, Minister of Music at Market Square Presbyterian Church, and Matthew and Sarah Topping, Music Directors at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Harrisburg, about what it takes to bring Christmas services to life. For them, preparation begins in the summer. “Ideally I think that process for me begins in July with selecting the theme,” Canonico-Dilley said, noting that those early decisions shape everything from concerts to Christmas Eve services.
The Toppings echoed that timeline, saying early planning helps balance tradition and personal favorites. “Starting planning ahead allows you to kind of make your master plan and make sure you fit the carols in that you super love,” Matthew Topping said. Sarah Topping added that musicians learn to think seasonally long before December arrives. “Music is the sound of that season, and you get used to knowing that success follows good planning,” she said. “If we start planning then, you can really enjoy the sound of the season when you get there.”
Choosing music means navigating expectations while keeping things fresh. At St. Stephen’s, honoring long-standing traditions is key, especially as the church approaches its 200th anniversary. “You build in those blocks first,” Matthew Topping explained, “and then on top of that, you can add in some variety.” Canonico-Dilley said audience experience also matters, from evaluating what worked the year before to experimenting with new styles. “I’m always re-evaluating the year prior, what worked, what didn’t work, what did the choirs enjoy singing,” he said.
Even with careful planning, every Christmas feels different. Services may shift in tone, scale, or focus depending on the time, the congregation, or the world beyond the church walls. For Canonico-Dilley, music can also connect faith to current realities. “It kind of brings in relating the story back then to how things are in our world today,” he said. Together, the musicians described Christmas not just as a performance, but as a carefully crafted moment meant to bring communities together at the end of the year.
