Saint Louis Chamber Chorus "Voices of Change, TRANSFORMATION: The Birth of Jesus Christ"

A Latin chant central to the celebration of the Nativity is “O Magnum Mysterium,” and thus it has received countless musical treatments over the centuries. The Renaissance cradled the most iconic versions, from Venice’s Giovanni Gabrieli to the greatest Spanish composer of the Age, Tomás Luis de Victoria. The latter elaborated his own setting to create an entire Mass on his musical themes, and its spare harmonies contrast with the rich polyphony of the Neapolitan master, Alessandro Scarlatti. In more recent decades, a very different interpretation, setting the wonder of the Holy Birth against Herod’s widespread infanticide, offered by Francis Poulenc and Judith Bingham. Focusing more on God’s gift to Mankind of his only son are the rapturous settings by Morten Lauridsen and Bob Chilcott, the latter written in 2012 for the Chamber Chorus. This year the choir presents another new commission from Missourian composer, Carter Datz, that combines the Christmas text with verses by Harriet Beecher Stowe. A final haunting arrangement – utterly unlike any other setting – is provided in the chamber cantata, O Magnum Mysterium, written in 1960 by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, who went on to serve as ‘Master of the Musick’ to Queen Elizabeth II.

No matter the musical language, the acoustic of the St. Louis Abbey is the perfect venue for the Chamber Chorus’s rich sonority. Its revolutionary design by world-famous architect, Gyo Obata, who envisioned a perfectly circular sanctuary, frees the audience from all pillars and other distractions. Easy access and plentiful parking make this an ideal location for a Christmas program like none other in St. Louis.