Christmas Concert with the Bergson Voices: Benjamin Britten's "Ceremony of Carols"
With his beloved “Ceremony of Carols,” composer Benjamin Britten tells us the Christmas story in a very special way. He wrote it in the midst of World War II, during a time that was very threatening for him, and yet—or perhaps precisely because of that—it sounds particularly peaceful, loving, and joyful. It is fitting, then, that the central and only instrument in the composition is one that is distinctly delicate, heartfelt, and thus quintessentially Christmassy: the harp. It accompanies the female voices of the Bergson Voices, who will sing in Middle English. The movement “This Little Babe” deliberately breaks with the peace of Christmas. In contrast to the newborn Christ Child, the choir and harp race through canons at a breathtaking tempo—more like high-performance musical athletics than a quiet Christmas. Here, Britten shows us Christ as a warrior who goes to war against evil. Equally remarkable is the movement “Spring Carol”—a spring song set against the backdrop of the Christmas miracle. Here, too, Britten offers a theological interpretation, making it clear that Jesus’ birth represents a new beginning—it offers us the chance to leave the old and the bad behind and move forward into the future with joy.
This Christmas Oratorio is complemented by selected songs. Soprano Judith Spießer, internationally acclaimed for her signature role as the “Queen of the Night” in Mozart’s *The Magic Flute*—and, funnily enough, a native of Gräfelfing—will sing literary gems, such as “O Holy Night,” made world-famous by star tenors like Plácido Domingo and Jonas Kaufmann.
Cast
Soprano: Judith Spießer
Bergson Voices
Musical Director: Johannes X. Schachtner
Program
Benjamin Britten: A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28
Selected Christmas Songs
Admission and Tickets
Doors open at 3:30 pm
Start: 4:00 pm
End: approx. 5:15 pm
Fair-Price Ticket: 44 EUR
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