Christmas concert

Welcome to this year’s Christmas concert, a warm and atmospheric journey through Europe’s rich Christmas traditions.

Different musical expressions are woven together into a vivid narrative of the mystery of Christmas, as it has been told through the centuries.

In recent years, the choir's Christmas concerts have become a cherished tradition for many. This year’s concerts have a distinctive character, featuring organ, Hardanger fiddle, and double bass, and also mark the choir’s first collaboration with the renowned German conductor Gregor Meyer.

The well-known hymn “Det hev ei rose sprunge” forms a poetic starting point for the concert. A symbol of hope, light, and new life.

The programme ranges from the intimate to the grand. In the second part, the focus turns to Mary, with radiant Renaissance music, before moving closer to the manger with more quiet and reflective tones. Familiar Christmas melodies meet beloved Norwegian folk tunes, bringing together the sacred and the popular in a warm and inclusive conclusion.

Gregor Meyer has been Artistic Director of the GewandhausChor in Leipzig since 2007 and is known for his innovative programming and his ability to unite tradition with a living, contemporary expression.

Program

Part I
Trad. / arr. Jan Sandström – Det hev ei rose sprunge
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Frohlocket ihr Völker
Edvard Grieg: Ave maris stella
Johannes Petzold: Die Nacht ist vorgedrungen

Part II
Hans Leo Hassler: Dixit Maria
Johann Eccard: Übers Gebirg Maria geht
Heinrich Schütz: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren
Alonso Lobo: Gloria (Missa Maria Magdalene)

Part III
Günter Raphael: Adventskyrie
Zoltán Kodály: Veni, Emmanuel
Peter Cornelius: Drei Kön’ge wandern aus Morgenland

Part IIII
Trad.: No koma Guds englar
Gustav Holst: In the bleak midwinter
Trad.: Noël nouvelet
Trad.: Dor Bargma
Erhard Mauersberger: Weihnacht
Trad.: Ding, Dong! Merrily on High
Trad.: Adeste fidelis