Stile Antico

Friday, 3 December, 2021 at 7:30 pm

A Renaissance Christmas

St Martin-in-the-Fields

St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, United Kingdom

For many, Christmas truly begins at the first carol service of the season. Each year, this magical sequence of music and readings gives new life to the story of the Prophets, the Annunciation, the birth of Christ, and the visits of the shepherds and Magi.

Stile Antico presents a unique and beautiful sequence inspired by the traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols. Masterpieces by some of the finest composers of the Renaissance alternate with intimate, metaphysical verse by poets such as John Donne and George Herbert. From the exuberance of Praetorius’ Magnificat Quinti toni, which includes the carols In dulci jubilo and Joseph lieber, to the wonder and beauty of Tallis’ Videte miraculum, the performance is a veritable feast of words and music, culminating in John Sheppard’s spectacular setting of the famous passage from St John’s Gospel: “The word was made flesh and dwelt among us”.