Music Events
Fall Arts Holiday Celebration: Noël, Noël, Joyeux Noël: A Celebration of French Music for the Holiday Season
Date and Time
Monday, December 4, 2017 7:30 PM
Description
Christmas is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the world. In France, on Christmas Eve churches and cathedrals are beautifully lit with candles, church bells are played, and Christmas carols are sung by everyone. After midnight mass, French families sit down together to celebrate with a feast called le réveillon, a cherished household tradition celebrating family, food, and wine that can last up to six hours until the dawn of Christmas morning.
Dating from the earliest celebrations in Medieval times, chanson de Noël has bestowed upon the world a universally loved, magnificent tradition of both secular and religious song spanning the years from medieval times to present day. Come join us for the pure, unaltered beauty of Renaissance master composer Guillaume Du Fay’s Magnificat, as well as the soaring, jubilant sounds of the Gloria by Francis Poulenc. Fountain Street Church will resound with the most magnificent music of the French holiday, including France’s most beloved holiday songs, Pat-a-pan; Il est né, le divin Enfant; and the beloved Minuit, Chrétiens (O Holy Night).
Students from East Grand Rapids High School and Hudsonville High School will accompany us to conclude the 2017 Fall Arts Celebration.