Dartington Community Choir Christmas concert

Dartington Community Choir presents two works for its December Christmas concert. Ryba’s Czech Christmas Mass, also known as the Bohemian Shepherds’ Mass, is a delightful Christmas cantata. Although framed around a traditional Latin mass, it is based on the story of four Czech shepherds to whom the birth of Christ is announced, whereupon they visit the child in the manger. Its pastoral character is reflected in its short melodic motifs inspired by folk music, supported by colourful rhythms. Written in 1796, it has been performed so regularly since the early 1800s that it is regarded, even today, as an inseparable part of Czech Christmas tradition.

The choir will pair this work with Handel’s Dixit Dominus. This setting of Psalm 110 was written in 1707 when Handel was only 22, demonstrating that he was, even at this young age, a master of counterpoint and rhythmic and harmonic complexity, presenting a thrilling play between concord and discord. The virtuosic writing nevertheless conveys powerful feeling and lyricism and the sensational drama within the music makes this work a tour de force for soloists, choir and orchestra alike.

A veritable Christmas musical feast!