Christmas Concert

Christmas Programme
I. A Festive Christmas | Europe and its traditions: approx. 20–25 minutes
A radiant opening, drawing on European folk traditions and early polyphony.
Personent hodie | German (1360) – Piae cantiones | arr. Gustav Holst (1874–1934)
Noël nouvelet | 15th-century French traditional | arr. John Rutter (1945–)
Riu riu chiu | Uppsala Manuscript | Mateo Flecha el Viejo (1481–1553)
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen | Michael Prætorius (1571–1621)
Ding Dong! Merrily on High | 16th-century French, arr. David Willcocks
Jul, jul, strålande jul | Gustaf Nordqvist (1886–1949)
Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells) | Mykola Léontovytch (1877–1921)
The Sussex Carol | Traditional English (17th century or earlier)

II. Christmas in the Night | Lullabies and Winter Scenes: approx. 20–25 minutes
A more contemplative section, featuring lullabies, intimate songs and evocations of winter.
In the Bleak Midwinter | Harold Darke (1888–1976)
El cant dels ocells | Miquel Querol (1912–2002)
Noel peace canon | Arr. Ruth Elaine Schram
Ninna nanna del Bambin Gesù | Bruno Bettinelli (1913–2004)
Stille Nacht / Douce nuit | Franz Gruber (1787–1863)
White Christmas | Irving Berlin (1888–1989)
Minuit, chrétiens | Adolphe Adam (1803–1856)

III. Christmas Songs | From the Americas to France: Approximately 20–25 minutes
A popular finale, alternating between French and English-language songs
What Child is This (Greensleeves) | William Chatterton Dix (1837–1898)
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! | Jule Styne (1905–1994), arr. Kirby Shaw
Feliz Navidad | José Feliciano | Arr. Mac Huff
Jingle Bells / Vive le vent | American traditional | James Pierpont (1822–1893) | French version by Francis Blanche
(1921–1974)
Petit Papa Noël | Henri Martinet (1909–1985), harmonised by Laurent Subias
We Wish You a Merry Christmas | American folk song | Arthur Sydney Warrell, arr. John Rutter (*1945)