A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols – Akerk
Monday May 8th, 2023
Each year the Roden girl choristers perform a Festival of Lessons and Carols in the Akerk in Groningen, lit with hundreds of candles, completely according to Anglican tradition. The story of Christmas will be told in English (!) and the choristers will sing traditional Christmas carols with their beautiful voices. As if you are in a cathedral in England!
Directed by Sonja de Vries and accompanied by Sietze de Vries on the organs, the choristers will sing unsurpassed adaptations of classics like The first Nowell by David Willcocks and Shepherd’s Pipe Carol and Dormi Jesu by John Rutter. These carols will be alternated with works from an older sound idiom such as in Down in yon Forest and There is no rose. A new composition by Sietze de Vries will also be presented for the first time.
To really get into the Christmas spirit, everyone will be invited to sing along the more familiar carols such as O come, all ye faithful and Hark! The Herald Angels sing.
The Roden Girl Voices, an ensemble of more experienced choristers of the choir, will sing some of their own repertoire. Also the younger girls will attend this concert to have their first introduction into this tradition.
Start 8 PM; doors open at 7.15 PM.