Great Barrington — Crescendo Chorus and Vocal Ensemble Singers will present “A Tapestry of Traditions: Unraveling the History of Christmas Carols” at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 21, at Saint James Place. The program will trace the origins and evolution of Christmas songs and carols over the centuries, and the audience will be invited to join Crescendo Chorus in singing several familiar favorites.
Performers will be:
- Sopranos Donna Marie Castaner, Amy Eisen, and Maja Gray
- Baritones Scott Patrick and Matthew Vitti
- Organist Amy Vinisko
- Crescendo Chorus
- Direction: Christine Gevert
Long before Christianity, many cultures celebrated the winter solstice with songs and festive gatherings. Centuries later, early Christians inherited the impulse for seasonal song but initially favored liturgical chant, not carols. And only clergy sang them.
Christmas songs and carols evolved over more than a millennium, shaped by religious tradition, folk customs, and popular culture. They emerged as we know them in the Middle Ages, when the word “carol” referred to a lively dance-song.
By the 13th century, these popular songs became linked to the Nativity, blending sacred themes with accessible, folk-style storytelling in works like “The First Nowell” and the “Coventry Carol.”
During the Renaissance and early modern period, carols intertwined with seasonal folk customs such as wassailing and New Year celebrations, while the Reformation encouraged congregational singing and expanded vernacular repertoire. Much of this music endured through oral tradition and community practice.
The Victorian era transformed Christmas music, reviving medieval carols, inspiring new classics, and promoting caroling as a family and community tradition. Parlor singing and Dickensian imagery helped standardize the holiday repertoire.
In the 20th century, radio, film, and phonograph gave rise to the modern popular Christmas song, from Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” to Mel Tormé’s “The Christmas Song.” Traditional carols thrived alongside these modern secular hits.
Today, carols are still evolving, drawing on global pop influences while reconnecting with historical music traditions. Crescendo fits squarely into that evolution by serving as a bridge between historical traditions and contemporary performance practices.
Crescendo Founding Artistic Director Christine Gevert, who holds both German and Chilean nationalities, earned a master’s degree in organ and early music performance in Germany and a degree in music theory in Chile. She has taught in both countries and has appeared widely as an organist, harpsichordist, and conductor. Gevert has performed with and led ensembles such as the Berliner Bachsolisten, Berliner Bachorchester, Leipziger Bachchor, La Giola, L’Arpa Festante, Musica Poetica, Chursaechsische Capelle, Estudio MusicAntigua, and Ars Antiqua Lipsiensis. In Chile, her collaborations include Collegium Josquin, Capella Antiqua, Pentagrama, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile, and the Orquesta de Cámara de la Universidad Católica.
Crescendo, based in Lakeville, Conn., is a regional choral and instrumental ensemble that specializes in early and historically informed music, often focusing on medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque repertoire, including early Christmas carols and seasonal works.
By presenting this music in modern concert settings—with scholarly context, translations, and intelligent programming—Crescendo helps modern audiences hear how today’s carols grew out of much older traditions.
Founded and directed by Christine Gevert, the ensemble performs primarily in Lakeville and Great Barrington and received the Chorus America/ASCAP Alice Parker Award in 2014.
Hear Crescendo perform “A Tapestry of Traditions: Unraveling the History of Christmas Carols” at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 21, at Saint James Place, 352 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Tickets are available here.
