Songs of light from every land

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The Liverpool Singers are a vibrant, all-female chamber choir based in the city, committed to making adventurous, high-quality choral music that “celebrates the power of women’s voices” and ranges stylistically “from Byrd to Pärt.” Their small-ensemble sound and contemporary outlook make them equally at home in intimate sacred repertoire and in fresh arrangements or newer choral works — an approach that informs tonight’s programme. 

“Songs of Light from Every Land” is presented as a global Christmas celebration, bringing together familiar carols and lesser-known seasonal pieces from around the world in a single atmospheric evening. The concert, which takes place at the Capstone Theatre on Thursday 11 December 2025, pairs joyful, texturally rich singing with moments of quiet reflection, inviting listeners to consider how different cultures frame the season’s themes of light, homecoming and hope. 

Part I – The Joyful World Awakes
The first half of Songs of Light from Every Land, titled The Joyful World Awakes, bursts into life with a celebration of rhythm, energy, and colour. This section draws on folk influences and dance-like vitality from across cultures, reflecting the universal human impulse to greet each new day with hope and song.
Lively and bright throughout, the music captures the spirit of community and connection — voices interweaving in rhythmic drive and joyful interplay. From the buoyant pulse of folk-inspired melodies to the sparkle of harmonic light, The Joyful World Awakes invites listeners to share in a global chorus of renewal and delight.

Vuelie – Frode Fjellheim & Christoph Beck (Norway, 2013)
Featured in the opening credits of Frozen (Disney, 2013) and inspired by the music of the Sámi people of northern Scandinavia, Vuelie combines traditional yoik chant with contemporary choral textures. Its bright, open harmonies evoke the crisp light of snow and sky in the far north — a perfect beginning to our journey around the world’s winter songs.
In the far north, Christmas blends Christian faith with ancient Sámi customs honouring the return of the sun after the long polar night. Singing and yoiking — traditional vocal chants — are central to community gatherings. Torches and fires brighten the dark landscape, symbolising the light’s rebirth as winter begins to turn.

Gaudete – Piae Cantiones arr. Michael Neaum (Finland/Sweden, 16th Century)
Dating from the 16th-century Piae Cantiones collection, Gaudete (“Rejoice!”) bursts with rhythmic vitality and medieval joy. Sung in Latin, it calls the world to celebrate the coming of divine light amid darkness — a flame of faith that has burned across centuries and lands.
When Gaudete was first sung in the Nordic lands, Christmas was both a church feast and a winter respite. Towns and monasteries rang with Latin hymns, while rural communities celebrated with dancing, candlelit processions, and shared feasts marking the season’s hope and renewal.



Deck the Hall – Trad. arr. John Rutter (Wales, 18/19th Century)
This beloved Welsh carol, with its jubilant “fa-la-las,” brings warmth and conviviality to the winter season. Rutter’s elegant arrangement glows with festive colour, embodying the shared light of community and song during the darkest time of year.
Welsh Christmases of the 1800s were filled with music — carol-singing “plygain” services at dawn, dancing, and home gatherings. The tune of Deck the Hall originated as a New Year’s dance, later adapted to Christmas cheer. Homes glowed with candlelight and greenery as people sang together through the night.

Pastorcito Santo – Rodrigo arr. Clary Amelia Taylor (Catalonia, Spain, 18/19th Century)
This Catalan carol tells of a humble shepherd visiting the Christ Child. Its dance-like rhythms and lilting melody capture the Mediterranean brightness of Spanish Christmas traditions, where song and devotion intertwine in radiant celebration.
In Catalonia, Christmas has long been a festival of song and humour. Villagers stage pastorets (shepherd plays) recounting the Nativity with music and laughter. Families gather for the Nochebuena meal on Christmas Eve, and children look forward to el Caga Tió, a log that “magically” produces gifts when beaten with sticks and songs of joy.

Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle – Alfonso Maria de’ Ligouri arr. Sandra Milliken (Italy, 18th Century)
Composed in the 18th century by a Neapolitan saint, this carol paints a tender picture of the Christ Child sleeping under the stars. Its melody, beloved across Italy, radiates gentle warmth and devotion — a candle of comfort in the night.
In Italy, Christmas was and remains deeply devotional. In the 1700s, the presepe (Nativity scene) was the heart of celebration, often accompanied by shepherd music played on rustic pipes. Families visited churches to admire elaborate cribs, and hymns like Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle filled the air with tender reverence.


Winds Through the Olive Trees – Trad. arr. Michael Neaum (Gascony, France)
This carol from southern France breathes a rustic simplicity and calm. Its imagery of wind rustling through olive trees recalls the sacred landscape of the Nativity — nature itself bathed in divine light, whispering of peace and promise.
In rural southern France, Christmas blended religious solemnity with pastoral charm. Midnight Mass was followed by a Réveillon feast — bread, cheese, wine, and warmth shared by lamplight. Songs like this one reflected a life close to the land, where faith and nature were intertwined beneath the winter stars.

The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy - Carribean arr. Michael Neaum
Bursting with rhythmic vitality and warmth, The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy comes from the Caribbean island of Trinidad. Its syncopated beat and joyful call-and-response style reflect the region’s fusion of African and European musical traditions. The carol shines with radiant optimism — a tropical celebration of the light of Christ, born beneath bright island skies and carried on the rhythm of steel drums and voices.
In the Caribbean, Christmas is a season of song, dance, and shared joy. In Trinidad and across the West Indies, communities gather outdoors to sing carols known as parang, often accompanied by drums, guitars, and maracas. Houses are lit with candles and bright paper lanterns, and families share feasts that blend local and colonial flavours. The celebration is filled with light, laughter, and music — the message of Christmas alive in every heartbeat and every note.

– Interval

Part II – Reflections and Light
In contrast to the brightness of the opening half, Reflections and Light turns inward, exploring moments of stillness, contemplation, and spiritual depth. Drawing inspiration from sacred and atmospheric traditions around the world, this section invites both performers and listeners to pause and reflect on light in its most profound sense — as a symbol of peace, understanding, and unity.
The music moves through layers of emotion and colour, gradually building towards a sense of global harmony. As voices blend and textures unfold, Reflections and Light closes with a quiet yet powerful expression of shared humanity — a still, luminous space where the songs of every land meet and resonate as one.

Es ist Ein Ros Entsprungen – Praetorius (Germany, 17th Century)
This exquisite German chorale speaks of a rose blooming in winter, a symbol of hope emerging from cold and shadow. Praetorius’ serene harmonies capture the quiet miracle of life and light renewed.
Early 1600s Germany saw Christmas observed with church music, evergreen boughs, and the first appearance of decorated trees. Families gathered to sing hymns like this one around the fire. The “rose blooming in winter” symbolised Christ’s light emerging amid the darkness of cold European winters.

Infant Holy, Infant Lowly – Trad. arr. Samuel Despain (Poland, 19th Century folk tradition)
This Polish cradle song, with its gentle rocking rhythm, reflects the humble radiance of the manger. Its simplicity and purity embody the glowing heart of Christmas — light born in the lowliest of places.
In Poland, Christmas (Boże Narodzenie) is rich in folk and family customs. On Christmas Eve, families share the opłatekwafer, exchange blessings, and dine on twelve symbolic dishes. After the meal, Poles attend Pasterka, the Shepherds’ Mass, singing carols that blend rustic charm with heartfelt faith.

Bethlehem Down – Warlock (England, 1920s)
Written during the 1920s, this haunting English carol contrasts the Nativity’s beauty with the foretelling of the Passion. Its hushed, luminous harmonies create an atmosphere of introspection — the light that comforts yet also deepens our understanding.
Post–World War I England found solace in carols both old and new. The early 20th century revived ancient choral traditions, with carol services bringing light to a weary nation. Warlock’s haunting work reflects that mood — contemplative, seeking peace after hardship, and celebrating Christmas with quiet grace.

Mid-Winter – Bob Chilcott (England, Contemporary)
A modern setting of Christina Rossetti’s timeless poem, Chilcott’s Mid-Winter shimmers with tenderness and clarity. It speaks of giving one’s heart — the simplest and purest form of light we can offer.
Modern British Christmases mix tradition and renewal — candlelit services, King’s College carols, and festive charity. Bob Chilcott’s setting of Rossetti’s poem connects to that enduring spirit: finding light not in splendour, but in the warmth of generosity and the simple act of giving.

O Magnum Mysterium – Morten Lauridsen (USA, 1994)
Lauridsen’s masterpiece of contemporary choral writing is suffused with golden light. Its spacious harmonies seem to suspend time, inviting listeners to contemplate the mystery of divine presence made human.
In late-20th-century America, Christmas had become both sacred and secular — choirs and communities seeking deeper spiritual meaning amid modern noise. Lauridsen’s luminous motet stands apart as a quiet meditation, recalling the candlelit solemnity of ancient worship while born from a contemporary longing for peace.

Candlelight Carol: Rutter (England, 1980s)
Written in 1984, Rutter’s Candlelight Carol glows with tenderness and reverence. Its gentle melody and rich harmonies evoke the soft flicker of candles around the manger, illuminating the quiet wonder of the Nativity. Rutter’s gift for melody and luminous choral texture has made this carol a modern classic — a song of love, light, and serenity that transcends its English roots to touch hearts worldwide.

By the late 20th century, Christmas in England had become a season of music, community, and reflection — from candlelit services and choral broadcasts to family gatherings steeped in tradition. The glow of candles in parish churches symbolised warmth and peace amid winter’s chill. Rutter’s carol emerged from this atmosphere, part of a modern revival of sacred choral music that carried the light of an ancient story into the contemporary world.

God Yu Tekkem Laef Blong Mi – Hans Zimmer & Gavin Greenaway arr. Silas Sinning (Solomon Islands)
From The Thin Red Line, this choral prayer from the Solomon Islands expresses faith in rich Pacific sonorities. The text, in Tok Pisin, translates as “Take my life, Lord” — a global hymn of surrender and light offered from the heart of the Pacific.
In the islands of the South Pacific, Christmas unites European missionary traditions with local languages, dances, and drums. Churches and villages glow with lanterns, and choirs sing beneath open skies. Faith is lived outdoors — joyful, communal, and full of light that feels both ancient and alive.

Silent Night / Stille Nacht / Mārie te Pō – Gruber arr. Joseph Moor (Germany/England/New Zealand, 19th-20th Centuries)
Perhaps the most universal carol of all, Silent Night transcends language and borders. Here, sung in German, English, and Māori, it becomes a hymn of shared peace — a single radiant flame uniting every land in the quiet light of Christmas.
Silent Night was first sung in 1818 in a small Austrian church lit only by candles. Its simple message spread across continents, embraced in every culture. In Aotearoa New Zealand, its Māori version Mārie te Pō joins voices from opposite ends of the earth — a true song of light uniting all lands in peace.