#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalChristmas Week 5
By Ralph Graves
For the past four years, the #ClassicsaDay team has adopted Classical Christmas as its theme for December. And why not? We have a rich body of music related to the season dating back to the Middle Ages. A good deal of it is religious, but not all — many works are simply inspired by the time of year.
12/28/20 Paul Hindemith – The Long Christmas Dinner
This 1931 opera traces the history of a mid-western family through 90 years of Christmas dinners in the same home.
12/29/20 Delius – Winter Night
This is the second of the “Three Small Tone Poems” written by Delius. Originally, this 1890 cycle was to have one movement for every season, but Autumn’s was never written.
12/30/20 Bristow – Winter’s Tale Overture
George Frederick Bristow was an early advocate of American classical music. His 1856 overture was for a Broadway production of Shakespeare’s play.
12/31/20 Hymn to St. Nicholas
Saint Nicholas is a very important figure in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He’s the subject of many traditional carols, such as this one from Carpathia.
