Poster Calmus
Calmus ensemble
Calmus
Performance Today®

Calmus

The German vocal ensemble Calmus was born out of a nearly thousand-year-old tradition of choral music at Thomaskirche, St. Thomas' Church in Leipzig. There's been a choir there for the last 800 years. The great Johann Sebastian Bach directed it for the last three decades of his life. The five members of Calmus met while singing in the St. Thomas Choir, then went off on their own as a quintet. The members of Calmus join host Fred Child in the PT studios today for some holiday tunes, including one by the old master himself.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Johann Sebastian Bach: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (Sing a New Song unto the Lord)
Cantus Colln, Konrad Junghanel, director and lute

Traditional Sephardic: Hazeremos una Merenda
Piffaro
Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia

Traditional Sephardic: Psalm 30
Piffaro
Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia

Traditional Sephardic: Quita'l tas
Piffaro
Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia

Alexander Borodin: Polovtsian Dances, from Prince Igor
The Nashville Symphony and Chorus, Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville

Johann Sebastian Bach (arranged by Eva Beneke): Wie soll ich dich empfangen, from The Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, and Ich steh an diener Krippen hier, from the St. John Passion, BWV 245
Eva Beneke and Scott Tennant, guitars

Johann Sebastian Bach: Cantata Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 62 (Cantata for the first Sunday of Advent)
The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Collegium Vocale Ghent, soloists, Marcus Creed, conductor
Konzerthaus, Freiburg, Germany

Hour 2

Howard Shore: Hope and Memory and Concerning Hobbits
The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Howard Shore, conductor

Italian Chant: Maoz Tzur
The Zamir Chorale of Boston, Joshua Jacobson, director

Vladimir Heifetz: Fayer, Fayer!
Chicago a cappella, Jonathan Miller, director
Wentz Concert Hall, Naperville, Illinois

Traditional (arranged by Steve Barnett): Al Hanisim (For the Miracles)
The Dale Warland Singers, Jerry Rubino, director
Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Perfchat with Calmus: Perfchat

Anonymous (arranged by Bob Chilcott): Nova! Nova!
Calmus
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, St. Paul

Traditional (arranged by Max Reger): Macht hoch die Tur
Calmus
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, St. Paul

Johann Sebastian Bach: O Jesulein Suss
Calmus
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, St. Paul

Traditional (arranged by Ludwig Bohme): Maria durch ein Dornwald ging
Calmus
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, St. Paul

Irving Berlin: White Christmas
Calmus
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, St. Paul

James Lord Pierpont: Jingle Bells
Calmus
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, St. Paul

Johann Sebastian Bach: Chorale, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, BWV 147
Simone Dinnerstein, piano
Fraser Performance Studio, Boston

Michael Praetorius: In Dulci Jubilo and Bransle de Village
Chatham Baroque
Synod Hall, Oakland, Pennsylvania

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