A Festive Tale: the Story of Christmas Music

Join us for this musical morning to kick start your Christmas Season. Lecture One: A Festive Tale: the Story of Christmas Music Christmas would not be Christmas without music. And the story of what we perform, listen to and share at that most festive of seasons is both fascinating and transformative. Having had its roots in Rome during the 4th Century with chants like Veni redemptor gentium, Christmas music has since gone on to become one of mankind's most enduring cultural and religious phenomena. Whether it is heard as part of the liturgy, or at the cinema, Christmas music never fails to trigger a sense of wonderment. Using carefully chosen sound recordings and film clips, this lecture will trace the history and impact of Christmas music from its Roman roots to the present day. Lecture Two: Messiah: an Audio-Visual Exploration of Handel's Choral Masterpiece Composed in 1741, but first performed in Dublin's Great Music Hall the following year, 'Messiah' is one of Western music's greatest artistic achievements and a work that has captured the imagination of audiences around the globe. Although originally performed at Easter , the oratorio has also become a staple at Christmas and is regularly performed by some of the world's greatest conductors, singers, choirs and orchestras during that part of the liturgical calendar. But, over the years , the piece has been subject to a variety of cuts , changes and modifications that have reflected shifting trends in both performance style and audience expectations Georg Friedrich Handel Our Lecturer- Professor Raymond Holden Born in Australia, Professor Raymond Holden AM studied at Sydney , Cologne and London and is a critically acclaimed and multi-award winning writer, conductor, broadcaster and lecturer. He has performed with the Philharmonic Orchestra, the Danish Radio Symphoney Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Emilia Romagna and the New Symphony Orchestra of London. His work is widely published and he has taken part in television and radio programmes across the world. He has spoken at many of the world's leading music and literary festivals, universities , conservatoires and research institutes. Professor Holden was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours List and is currently Emeritus Professor of Music at the Royal Academy of Music, London.