Choir Concert: O Holy Night!

The Choir of Merton College, Oxford
Benjamin Nicholas Director
Alexander Little, Thomas Fetherstonhaugh piano

This concert contrasted two polychoral masterpieces from the Renaissance period with Poulenc’s popular Christmas motets, and a sequence of well-known carols by Darke and Rutter amongst others. The concert opened with Hieronymus Praetorius’s setting of the Magnificat on the fifth tone. Just as fun and entertaining is Victoria’s rarely heard Missa Pro Victoria, based on a chanson by Jannequin.

Programme

Praetorius Magnificat quinti toni
Victoria Missa Pro Victoria
Poulenc Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël
Trad. Arr. Pearsall In dulci jubilo
Robin Holloway The angel Gabriel
Adolphe Adam O holy night!
Patrick Hadley I sing of a maiden
Darke In the bleak midwinter
16th-century French arr. Wilberg Ding dong! Merrily on high
Gruber arr. Rutter Silent night
Torme and Wells arr. Rutter The Christmas Song
John Rutter Shepherd’s pipe carol