The St. Olaf Christmas Festival 2024
Tonight at 7:00 on the “Evening Concert” on WILL 90.9 FMHD1 we pre-empt “The New York Philharmonic This Week” to bring you a two-hour holiday special “The St. Olaf Christmas Festival 2024”: 150 years of the St. Olaf Christmas Festival.
Monday, December 23, 7:00 pm: The New York Philharmonic (NYP 25-14)
Pre-empted for Holiday Special
The St. Olaf Christmas Festival (from APM)
A service in song and word that has become one of the nation’s most cherished holiday celebrations. Tickets to the event - which takes place at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN - are always gone months in advance. The festival includes hymns, carols, choral works, as well as orchestral selections celebrating the Nativity and featuring more than 500 student musicians in five choirs and the St. Olaf Orchestra. Valerie Kahler hosts.
The St. Olaf Choir, conducted by F. Melius Christiansen, Olaf C. Christiansen, Kenneth Jennings and Anton Armstrong.
The St. Olaf Orchestra, conducted by Steven Amundson and Chung Park.
The St. Olaf Chapel Choir and Viking Chorus, conducted by Robert Scholz, Mark Stover and Christoper Aspaas
St. Olaf Cantorei, conducted by John Ferguson and James Bobb
The Manitou Singers, conducted by Alice “Dolly” Larsen, Sigrid Johnson and Therees Hibbard.
(Hour 1)
Steven Amundson: Angel’s Dance – 2021 Orchestra
F. Melius Christiansen: Lullaby on Christmas Eve – 1941 St. Olaf Choir
Philip Nicolai, arr. F. Melius Christiansen – 1966 St. Olaf Choir
Traditional, arr. John Ferguson: Comfort, Comfort Now My People – 2005 Massed Choir & Orchestra
Michael Praetorius, arr. Sven-David Sandstrom, orch. Steven Amundson
Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming – 2023 Orchestra
Alberto Taulé, arr. James E. Bobb: All Earth is Hopeful – 2019 Massed Choir & Orchestra
Traditional, arr. John Ferguson: O Come, O Come Emmanuel – 2011 Cantorei
John F. Wade, arr. John Ferguson; descant David Willcocks: O Come, All Ye Faithful – 2011 Massed Choirs & Orchestra
Joseph Haydn, ed. Robert Scholz: God of Life (from The Seasons) 2002 Massed Choir & Orchestra
Traditional English, arr. John Rutter: Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day – 2014 Manitou Singers
French Folk Tune, arr. Christopher Aspaas: Twas in the Moon of Wintertime – 2011 Chapel Choir
Traditional Spanish, arr. Robert Shaw & Alice Parker: Hacia Belén va un borrico – 1989 St. Olaf Choir
Eleanor Daly: O My Dear Heart – 2017 Manitou Singers
(Hour 2)
Orientus Partibus, 12th century French melody, arr. Robert Scholz: Friendly Beasts – 2019 All Choirs
Traditional, arr. Carolyn Jennings: I Saw Three Ships – 1983 St. Olaf Choir
Joseph W. Clokey: Two Kings – 1998 Cantorei
Ron Nelson: Ring Out, Wild Bells – 2010 Viking Chorus
John Rutter: What Sweeter Music – 1997 Chapel Choir & Orchestra
Michael Fink: What Sweeter Music – 1975 Manitou Singers
Johann Ebeling, arr. Ralph Johnson: All My Heart This Night Rejoives – 2000 Manitou Singers
Rosephanye Powell, arr. William C. Powell: Ogo Ni Fun Oluwa – 2023 Manitou Singers
Mark Foster, arr. John C. Phillips: Listen to the Sounds in Heaven! – 2000 Viking Chorus & Orchestra
Cary Ratcliff: Let Every Heart – 2016 St. Olaf Cantorei
Kenneth Jennings: Summer in Winter – 2023 St. Olaf Choir
Stanford Scriven: Jesus Christ the Apple Tree – 2009 St. Olaf Choir
Southern Harmony, arr. Shawn Kirchner: Brightest and Best – 2017 Viking Chorus
Abbie Betinis: Carol of the Stranger – 2022 All Choirs
Ben Allaway: Alleluyah Sasa! He is Born – 2014 St. Olaf Chapel Choir
André Thomas: Gloria (from Mass: A Celebration of Love and Joy) – 2017 Massed Choir & Orchestra
English, arr. Steven Amundson: Joy to the World – 2016 Massed Choirs & Orchestra
Robert Scholz : Nunc Dimittis – 2004 Massed Choir & Orchestra
Traditional Silesian, arr. F. Melius Christiansen: Beautiful Savior – 2006 Massed Choir