A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten, with Music by John Tavener and Arvo Pärt

Red Events presents a radiant Christmas programme centred on Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols at the historic Franciscan Church (église du Couvent des Cordeliers) in Fribourg.

Written in 1942 during Britten’s sea voyage from the United States to England and premiered the following year, this celebrated cycle of 12 short movements for voices and harp combines medieval English and Latin texts with music of remarkable clarity, delicacy and brilliance. By turns mystical, playful and radiant, A Ceremony of Carols has become one of the most beloved choral works of the Christmas season.

Britten’s masterpiece is complemented by sacred works by John Tavener and Arvo Pärt, composers whose music explores the profound connection between spirituality, silence and sound. Performed by Ensemble Sinfonietta Bern together with singers from Creator Classics, a Vienna-based opera collective, the programme brings these meditative works into dialogue with Britten’s luminous choral writing.

Additional seasonal works complete this atmospheric musical journey, inviting audiences to experience the wonder, serenity and joy of the season through some of the most luminous and moving sacred music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.