Although this was not always the case, today we listen to Christmas music usually in the lead-up to and during the holiday season. The final days before Christmas Eve are an ideal time to visit the NFM, as Karol Mossakowski, director of the organ concert series, will join forces with the NFM Choir, under the direction of Lionel Sow, to perform sacred compositions by Benjamin Britten and Zoltán Kodály. The second half of the evening will feature improvised renditions of Christmas carols, performed jointly by the singers and the organist.

Can you experience religious exaltation in an eccentric or peculiar way? The answer becomes clear upon delving into the text of Jubilate Agno, an eighteenth-century poem by Christopher Smart, set to music by Benjamin Britten in 1943. Rejoice in the Lamb is a short cantata based on some verses from this extraordinary poem, in which the author speaks as a voice of nature, perpetually offering praise to God. The piece includes the famous passage about his beloved Jeoffry, one of the most celebrated cats in English literature. Furthermore, Smart portrays not only this creature as a servant of God, but also a mouse, the letters of the alphabet, and flowers. Despite the fact that it was composed for a different occasion, Britten’s ascetic yet delicate musical language is imbued with the spirit of Christmas.

In contrast, Laudes organi (1966), the final completed work by Zoltán Kodály, is both solemn and joyful. For this piece, the Hungarian composer drew upon a twelfth-century hymn in praise of the organ, or, more broadly, of instrumental music. It served as an instrument for a “modern” way of glorifying God. The organ polyphony within it pays homage to the musical traditions of the past, while at the same time showcasing distinct twentieth-century techniques. Attentive listeners will discern how Kodály successfully captured the nuances of composition and performance through sound. Following the intermission, Karol Mossakowski, a brilliant improviser, will join forces with the NFM Choir, a choir that thrives on demanding performance challenges, to create a truly unique, festive atmosphere. The Main Hall of the NFM will resonate with the sounds of Christmas carols.