Born This Day
Sat Dec 7, 19:00 - Sat Dec 7, 21:30
Cape Town City Hall
ABOUT
BORN THIS DAY
How about something new, different, exciting and exquisitely beautiful to herald in your 2024 festive season?
The Symphony Choir of Cape Town’s Christmas concert, Born This Day, takes place at the Cape Town City Hall on Saturday 07 December at 7 pm.
The programme is a delightful mix of well-known and lesser-known works by famous composers and comprises:
Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson
The Nutcracker Suite (Op. 71a) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Hodie (This Day) A Christmas Cantata by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Sleigh Ride is a much loved and fun, light orchestral piece which was conceived by Leroy Anderson in 1946 during a heat wave! Listen out for the sounds of a horse clip-clopping, a whip to get the horse moving and, at the end, the neighing horse!
The Nutcracker Suite needs no introduction. Not to be mistaken for the complete ballet, the Suite is made up of a selection of 8 musical numbers from The Nutcracker ballet and is intended for concert performance. These numbers include the Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy (where the ending was altered from the ballet version), the Arabian Dance and the Waltz of the Flowers.
The main work of the evening, Hodie (This Day) is a Christmas cantata composed by Vaughan Williams between 1953 and 1954. It is the composer’s last major choral/orchestral work and premiered in Worcester Cathedral in September 1954 under the composer’s baton. The cantata is in 16 movements and is scored for chorus, children’s choir, organ and large symphony orchestra with tenor, baritone and soprano soloists. The lyrics are taken from the Bible and also from poems by Milton, Thomas Hardy and Benjamin Britten amongst others. The work is a fusion of the religious spirit of Christmas together with associations to the English countryside carols. Vaughan Williams was passionate about English folk music and has synthesised the character of the folk tunes in the music. This is possibly the first time the work is being performed in Cape Town in its entirety and promises to be a real treat reflecting and celebrating the wonder, mystery and joyful spirit of Christmas.
The Symphony Choir of Cape Town is delighted to be collaborating with the Cape Town Children’s Choir as well as our fantastic soloists – William Berger (baritone), Elsabe Richter (Soprano) and Arthur Swan (Tenor). We are also privileged to be accompanied by a full symphony orchestra of talented musicians all under the baton of our inspired director, Levi Alexander.
Don’t miss this sparkling entrée to the Christmas season.