Carols concert

choral — An evening of carols performed by the Choir of the National Philharmonic under the direction of Bartosz Michałowski.

Choir of the National Philharmonic, photo: Deluga.art

Christmas is a holiday full of paradoxes. On the one hand, it brings with it the joy of the coming into the world of the long-awaited Messiah. On the other hand, it recalls the story of his birth in poverty, under the sign of suffering and future sacrifice. The carol repertoire, although theoretically focused on a single event, is not limited to a religious message. It is a multidimensional story about the culture, time and sensitivity of the people who have been creating Christmas stories for centuries. Their lyrics and music, often strongly embedded in local realities, smuggle images of the flora, fauna, customs and emotions of a given place. For example, in a baroque villancico, the baby Jesus appears as a bullfighter standing in battle with a bull, a figure of evil (he must lose this fight in order to complete his mission).
The genre of Christmas carols — seemingly familiar and tamed — turns out to be a space of endless invention. One melody can function in dozens of arrangements: from simple one-voice forms to complex vocal-instrumental textures. This diversity of caroling heritage has been explored for many years by the National Philharmonic Choir, which proposes a new, carefully thought-out program of December concerts every year. At that time, old and contemporary, Polish and foreign works resonate — diverse and at the same time coherent in their emotional strength. And all so that for a moment — in the darkness and cold of a winter day — you can warm yourself with the warmth that has been beating from the sounds of Christmas carols for centuries.

Bartłomiej Gembicki