J. S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio

It has already become a tradition, that the festival European Christmas is concluded by Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio – a beautiful and grand tale about the time around the birth of Jesus and the events linked to it.

From 11 – 20 November, Latvian Radio Choir and its artistic director and lead conductor Sigvards Kļava will go on a concert tour around the USA and Canada. In their concerts, the choir will introduce the audience to outstanding examples of the European choir music, focusing in particular on masterpieces created by contemporary Latvian composers. The tour will consist of four concerts. Audience at the New York concert organised by the Lincoln centre, will experience the world premiere of opus Oremus, composed by Juris Karlsons especially for the Latvian Radio Choir.

Monday, November 5 will mark the Australian premiere of a unique project where the history and the modernity, the Eastern and Western cultures meet - the electronic opera War Sum Up, performed by Grammy award winner the Latvian Radio Choir and directed by Kirsten Dehlholm of the award-winning production company Hotel Pro Forma, in collaboration with UK art-pop ensemble The Irrepressibles, Santa Ratniece and French electronic artist Gilbert Nouno. War Sum Up can be summed up in three words: Music, Manga and Machines.

On 17 October in the Jelgava Culture house the fourth and closing stage from the most grandiose Latvian centenary musical project Latvijas gredzens (The Ring of Latvia) will be performed - ZEMGALES GREDZENS (THE RING OF ZEMGALE), the artistic concept of which will be brought to life through the cinematic concert Vēstures palos (In the Tides of history).

On 28 of August the Latvian Radio Choir and its conductor Sigvards Kļava will participate in one of the most noteworthy events of the Northern European music scene – the Baltic Sea Festival. In collaboration with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber choir and the Swedish Radio choir the choir will perform in the Berwaldhallen (Berwald Hall) in a concert in celebration of the the legendary Swedish conductor and forger of the 20^th century choir sound Eric Ericson’s 100^th birthday.