ConcertPulse
Concert of Christmas Carols
Filharmonia Narodowa, Concert Hall (Warszawa)
Concert of Christmas Carols at the Warsaw Philharmonic, photo: DELUGA.art Although carols have become a fixture in the musical landscape of winter, we still know little about the origins of music-making over the Christmas period. Numerous internet sources give the oldest mention of carols as being a supposed directive issued by Telesphorus, bishop of Rome, in 129 AD specifying the performance of a ‘Hymn of the Angels’ during a festive mass. Some commentators have even gone so far as to mention the title of the carol which Pope Telesphorus had in mind, overlooking the fact that Christmas services have only been held in the Roman Church since the fourth century, while the song they cite is usually dated to the eighteenth (not the second) century. Although a final answer seems unlikely, the search for the oldest carol continues, attesting to the role which the subject of Christmas has played down the centuries – both in official liturgical songs and in music-making in the home. As every year, this will be evoked for listeners by the Warsaw Philharmonic Choir. During the traditional Christmas concerts, the choir – often accompanied by soloist and instrumentalists – will perform a programme comprising carols old and new, from home and abroad. The repertoire of the December concerts alters slightly each year and offers a unique glance at the wealth of music linked to one of the most important Christian feasts. Bartłomiej Gembicki