大象传媒

Andrew McGregor presents a musical celebration of Christmas, with concert performances from seven countries. 大象传媒 Radio 3 joins an international network of radio stations for a seasonal selection of choral and orchestral music. En route, Andrew reflects on our own Christmas customs, past, present and future.

12.00pm USA
A Christmas concert from the popular American a cappella group Chanticleer, which celebrates its thirtieth anniversary in 2008. The group comes home to California to perform traditional and well-loved Christmas vocal music, from Gregorian chant to gospel.

Virga jesse floruit (Gregorian chant, from the Gradual of Eleanor of Brittany)
Perotin: Ex semine rosa
Praetorius: In dulci jubilo
Mateo Flecha: El jubilate
Gaspar Fernandes: Xiocochi xicochi conetzintie
Juan Garcia de Zespedes: Convidando esta la noche
Part: O spross aus Isais Wurzel (Seven Magnificat Antiphons)
Vytautas MIskinis: O Radix Jesse (Seven O-Antiphons)
William Kirkpatrick: Away in a manger
Mykola Leontobych: Carol of the Bells
Joseph Jennings: Medley of Christmas Spirituals

Chanticleer
Joseph H Jennings (director)

1.00pm Sweden
Song-and-dance man Fredrik Lycke is the special guest in a Christmas concert from Stockholm's Berwaldhallen.

Stenhammar: Midvinter
Rehnqvist: Don't be afraid of the darkness
Pereric Moraeus: Holy Night
Trad, arr. Ingvar Karkoff: Christmas from Dalecarlia
Trad, arr. Gunnar Hahn: Prepare the Royal Highway
Adam, arr. Martin Ostergren: O Holy Night
Gruber, arr. Ingvar Karkoff: Silent Night
Britten: Men of Goodwill - Variations on God Rest Ye Merry

Fredrik Lycke (vocalist)
Swedish Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra
Andreas Hanson (conductor)

2.00pm Austria
A feast of seasonal music from the Baroque period, in the spectacularly elaborate Baroque interior of the cathedral of St Polten. The cathedral choir joins forces with a group of instrumentalists from across the Slovakian border.

Franz Schneider: Transeamus usque ad Bethlehem
Rathgeber: Cum quietum silentium
Murschhauser: Aria pastoralis variate, for organ
Frantisek Brixi: Pastores loquebantur
Albrechtsberger: Jubilemus salvatori
Albrechtsberger: Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich, for organ
Franz Aumann: Seid frohlich, ihr Schafer
Paisiello: A Christmas Motet
Konigsberger: Two Pastoral Arias, for organ
Franz Krenn: Bone Jesu
Michael Haydn: Parvulus filius
Albrechtsberger: Pastorale in C, for organ

Ludwig Lusser (organ)
Domkantorei St Polten
Solamente Naturali

3.00pm Finland
Choral music from eight countries, from Kallio Church in Helsinki, including the world premiere of a new work for Christmas by Einojuhani Rautavaara, who celebrates his eightieth birthday in 2008.

Janacek: Graduale in festo purificationis BVM
Martinu: The Annunciation (Four Songs on Virgin Mary)
Brahms: Der englische Jager
Sibelius: Now, beside the manger of the little one
Matthew Whittall: In the bleak midwinter
Selim Palmgren: Prince of Peace
Leevi Madetoja: Cast your everyday cares aside
Gallus: Mirabile mysterium
Jonathan Harvey: The Angels
Victoria: O magnum mysterium
Toivo Kuula: Prayer, Op 34b No 1
Rautavaara: Our Joyful'st Feast (first performance)
Poulenc: Seeing the Star; Hodie Christus natus est (4 motets pour les temps de Noel)

Helsinki Chamber Choir
Nils Schweckendiek (conductor).

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