This video shows Part 2 of the 2015 Annual Lantern Ceremony held at Old North Church. Please see this post for the Part 1 video featuring Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
The annual Lantern Ceremony pays tribute to the events of April 18, 1775, when two lanterns were hung from the steeple of the Old North Church launching the American Revolutionary War. Held on the eve of Patriot’s Day, the Lantern Ceremony is now in its 140th year.
In Part 2, we experience the reading of Longfellow’s famous poem, Paul Revere’s Ride by Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans’ Services, Francisco Urena and his wife Jennifer Siegler. The program then turns to honoring a team of healthcare workers, from Partners in Health, who have travelled to West Africa, to volunteer their time and medical expertise, to aid communities and individuals effected by the deadly Ebola virus. Music during the Lantern Ceremony was by the Old North Chamber Choir and the 1st Michigan Colonial Fife & Drum Corps.
Part 2 Video Timeline:
- 00:00 Introduction by Rev. Stephen T. Ayres, Old North Church Vicar.
- 00:50 Reading of Paul Revere’s Ride by Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans’ Services, Francisco Urena and his wife Jennifer Siegler
- 06:30 Music by Old North Chamber Choir, led by Dr. Libor Dudas
- 13:20 Rev. Stephen T. Ayres, Vicar of Old North Church lights the lanterns for this year’s Lantern Carriers from Partners in Health and their volunteer efforts in fighting the African Ebola crisis.
- 16:40 Lighting of the Lanterns
- 19:15 Rev. Alan M. Gates, Episcopal Bishop of Massachusetts concluding prayer
- 21:45 America the Beautiful – Exit Processional
See also photos from the 2015 Lantern Ceremony as well as the reenactment of Paul Revere’s Ride (video below) by the National Lancers and “Two If By Sea” lanterns at the top of Old North.
