Christmas Nocturnes - a concert of three dramatic works for mixed choir and piano to celebrate the festive season. The Brighton Singers will be conducted by Nicholas Houghton with piano accompaniment played by Nicola Grunberg.
Britten's A Ceremony of Carols is one of the masterpieces of the 20th century and certainly one of the most popular choral pieces for Christmas time. The collection of 13 Christmas Carols was originally composed for treble voices in three parts. It has been arranged for mixed choir and harp or piano by Julius Harrison and it is this version the choir will perfom. Solos will be sung by members of the choir.
Morten Lauridsen is very much the brightest star in the firmament of the American choral scene. He is a composer who both writes superbly for choral voices and produces those kind of atmospheric effects which bring a feeling of inner warmth to even the most unresponsive of listeners. This is beautiful music.
Francis Poulenc’s Quatre Motets pour le temps de Noël, completed in 1952, are inspired by four scenes from the Nativity story. The first, O magnum mysterium, captures the awe and mystery of the birth of Jesus, and praises the Virgin Mary with a hushed reverence. The second, Quem vidistis, asks the shepherds, “Whom did you see?” The third, Videntes stellam, transports us to the serene, starlit night through which the Magi travel, bearing their gifts. The final motet, Hodie Chistus natus est, is a proclamation of joy, culminating in the words, “Gloria in excelsis Deo, alleluia.” The Motets for Christmas contain moments of haunting beauty. In other passages, we hear a jazzy nonchalance characteristic of Poulenc- a kind of musical, je ne sais quoi.
Come and celebrate the start of the christmas season with gorgeous and uplifting music - and mince pies and mulled wine in the interval.