All is Calm

Christmas Eve of 1914 wasn't supposed to be a silent night. World War I was going on, and men were supposed to be killing one another. But, just for that night, both sides gave up fighting and made peace. Join us today as the men of Cantus tell the story of that night, in word and song.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Traditional: "He Whom the Shepherds Praised"
The Taverner Consort with conductor Andrew Parrott

Traditional: "Infant Holy, Infant Lowly"
The London Brass

Traditional: "Veni, Veni Emmanuel,""Corde Natus ex Parentis," and "Adeste Fideles"
Chanticleer
Stanford Memorial Church, Stanford, California

Carl Davidoff: "Hymn"
The Cellissimo Quartet and friends with conductor Christian Mandeal
Romanian Athenaeum, Bucharest, Romania

Traditional (Arranged by Samuel Adler): "Spin, Dreidel, Spin"
The Spivey Hall Children's Choir with conductor Martha Shaw and pianist Judy Mason
Spivey Hall, Morrow, Georgia

"The Piano Puzzler": This week's contestant is Dan Duke from St. Paul, Minnesota.

Igor Stravinsky: "Ave Maria"
The Gabrieli Consort with conductor Paul McCreesh
St. Elizabeth's Basilica, Wroclaw, Poland

Sigvaldi Kaldalons: "Ave Maria"
Pianist Vikingur Heidar Olafsson
University Cinema, Reykjavik, Iceland

Erick Lichte and Timothy Takach: Excerpts from "All is Calm"
Cantus

Edward Elgar: "The Song of the Night," Op. 15, No. 1
The River Oaks Chamber Orchestra with conductor Scott Yoo
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, Houston

Gustav Nordqvist: "Christmas, Christmas, Radiant Christmas"
The Swedish Radio Symphony Chorus with conductor Mats Rondin
Berwaldhallen, Stockholm, Sweden

Hour 2

Benjamin Britten: Selections from "A Ceremony of Carols"
The American Boychoir with conductor Vincent Metallo

Ignacy Jan Paderewski: "Nocturne"
Pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi
Portland International Piano Festival, Portland, Oregon

Scott Ethier: "A Mother's Carol"
VocalEssence with conductor Philip Brunelle and Charles Hodgson, French horn
Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis

Cristobal de Morales: "O Magnum Mysterium"
Piffaro
Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia

Traditional (Arranged by Anders Ohrwall): "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" and "Come to the Manger"
The University of California at Santa Barbara Chamber Choir with conductor Michael Marc Gervais
St. Anthony's Seminary Chapel, Santa Barbara, California

Anthony Holborne: "As it Fell on a Holie Eve"
Lutenist Paul O'Dette
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, St. Paul, Minnesota

John Frederick Coots: "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
The Tokyo FM Boys' Choir with conductor and pianist Megumi Yorita
Tokyo FM Hall, Tokyo, Japan

Anthony Holborne: "The Night Watch"
Julien Martin, recorder, with Capriccio Stravagante and conductor Skip Sempe
St James's Church, Bruges, Belgium

Anonymous: "Alma Redemptoris Mater"
Chanticleer
Stanford Memorial Church, Stanford, California

Andre Jolivet: "Pastorales de Noel"
Members of the Chicago Chamber Musicians
Anne and Howard Gottlieb Hall, Chicago

Traditional (Arranged by Mads Tolling): "Beautiful Savior"
Violist Mads Tolling
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, St. Paul, Minnesota

Joseph Gregorio: "Dona Nobis Pacem"
The St. Olaf College Choirs with conductor Christopher Aspaas
Skoglund Auditorium, Northfield, Minnesota