Name: A European Christmas
Start: 2024-12-07T19:30:00+00:00
Location: Elvet Methodist Church, Durham

‘A European Christmas’, performed by the Durham Singers, promises to be a unique and compelling programme of exquisite Christmas music from countries such as Estonia, Iceland, Latvia and Ukraine and those that may be more familiar such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Our concert will be held on Saturday 7 December 2024 at 7.30pm at Elvet Methodist Church, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HL. The conductor will be our music director, Tom Edney, with David Harris playing the organ.
Christmas traditions vary widely across the world; countries celebrate the festival in their own unique way. We wish to reflect this cultural diversity, and historical and regional differences that have shaped the development of ‘Christmas’ over centuries. Our selection of works by composers from across Europe includes Cooper, Grieg, Leontovych, Rautavaara, Rutter, Sweelinck, Victoria, and Walker. The programme spans a broad timeline, from the intricate polyphony of the sixteenth century to compositions crafted within the last few years, offering a dynamic exploration of Christmas music from both past and present.
The Durham Singers will be singing in French, German, Church Slavonic, Italian as well as Latin. We finish triumphantly with a well-known carol for choir, audience and organ by the German composer Mendelssohn – in English.