IN THE BLEAK MID WINTER - Christmas Concert

The program unfolds as a musical journey spanning nearly a thousand years of history, intertwining vocal and instrumental repertoires from the cultured and popular heritage of Europe and the Americas. The itinerary opens with the ancient melodies of the Salisbury Rite, a thirteenth-century liturgical form used in England and parallel to the Roman liturgical tradition. These are followed by some of the earliest examples of medieval polyphonic writing, such as the celebrated Cotton Fragment, and a joyful Renaissance example, "Riu Riu Chiu," a Spanish villancico from a 1556 collection that celebrates the Annunciation with lively popular fervor. At the heart of the program is "In dulci jubilo," a melody of folk origin whose popularity spans centuries and borders. It is presented here in two distinct settings: the solemn and luminous one by Michael Praetorius, a leading figure of the early German Baroque, and the grandiose one by Johann Sebastian Bach, who pays homage to it with refined contrapuntal architecture. This piece acts as a symbolic hinge between the Old and New Worlds, paving the way for the second part of the concert, which looks overseas. The Anglo-American repertoire features: the modal essentiality of "Ye Nations," which echoes the spontaneous harmonic practices of colonial communities; the lyrical intensity of Harold Darke, an English composer known for his sacred-inspired choral works; and Ralph Vaughan Williams's lullaby, imbued with a gentle, nuanced lyricism, combining folk spirit and harmonic refinement with an impressionist flavor. The journey concludes with "Wassail! All over the town!", a traditional Christmas carol typical of English folklore. Sung by traveling groups of singers and musicians, it accompanied the ritual of "wassailing"—the exchange of gifts, sweets, and drinks—as a propitiation for the new year, evoking a sense of community, sharing, and hope.

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Cenacolo Musicale
Vocal quartet, String quartet

A solis ortus cardine
Canto dalla liturgia di Salisbury
Soprano e contralto

Angelus ad Virginem
Cotton fragments (XIV° secolo)
Soprano e basso e percussioni

Lully, lulla
Coventry carol (XVI° secolo)
Quartetto vocale e percussioni

Mateo Flecha il vecchio (1481-1553)
 Riu Riu Chiu
Da “Villancicos de diversos autores”, 1556
Quintetto vocale, percussioni

In dulci jubilo
Good Christian men, rejoice!
Elab. Michael Praetorius, (1571-1621)
Elab. Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750
Quartetto vocale, quartetto d’archi, organo e percussioni

Hail the Blest Morn!
Tradizionale metodista
Voci, bordone e percussioni

Ye nations all, on you I call
Carol popolare americana
Arrangiamento vocale di William Walker (1809-75)
Quintetto vocale

Harold Darke (1888-1976)
 In the bleak mid-winter
Basso solo, voci, e quartetto d’archi

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
 Wither’s Rocking Hymn
Soprano solo, voci e quartetto d’archi

Trascrizione da John Joubert (1927)
 Torches
Tenore solo, voci e quartetto d’archi e percussioni

Wassail! Wassail all over the town!
“Gloucestershire wassail” – Tradizionale inglese
Voci, quartetto d’archi, organo, percussioni

Arrangiamenti: Donatella Busetto