Where Peace and Love and Hope abide
The St. Olaf Christmas Festival, a service of hymns, carols, choral works and orchestral selections that celebrates the birth of Christ, is one of the oldest musical celebrations of Christmas in the United States. Started in 1912 by F. Melius Christiansen, founder of the St. Olaf College Music Department, the festival features more than 500 student musicians who are members of five choirs and the St. Olaf Orchestra.
Participating choral ensembles include the St. Olaf Choir, conducted by Anton Armstrong; the Viking Chorus and the Chapel Choir, both conducted by Christopher Aspaas; the Cantorei, conducted by John Ferguson; and the ManitouSingers, conducted by Sigrid Johnson. The St. Olaf Orchestra is conducted by Steven Amundson. Each group performs individually and as part of a mass ensemble.
The Festival is listed as one of five significant global holiday events in The New York Times International Datebook, and has been featured in hundreds of other publications, including TV Guide, The Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times.
Listen to the program
Hosted by Fred Child
Program:
Messiah: Prince of Peace (Trinity Canticles)
Daniel Kallman
St. Olaf Orchestra (Steven Amundson)
Prologue (The Apostles)
Edward Elgar
Massed Choirs and St. Olaf Orchestra (Christopher Aspaas)
Narration
Pastor Bruce Benson
Processional Hymn: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Tune: HYFRYDOL, Rowland H. Prichard, arr. John Ferguson
Massed Choirs, Congregation and St. Olaf Orchestra (Steven Amundson)
For Unto Us A Child Is Born (Messiah)
George Frideric Handel
Massed Choirs and St. Olaf Orchestra (Christopher Aspaas)
Alpha to Omega
Ian Kellam
Manitou Singers (Sigrid Johnson)
Entrance Scene: Lord Hosanna (Advent Motet)
Gustav Schreck, arr. Olaf C. Christiansen
St. Olaf Choir (Anton Armstrong)
How Lovely are the Messengers (St. Paul)
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Massed Choirs and St. Olaf Orchestra (John Ferguson)
Gloria
Jeffrey Rickard
Cantorei (John Ferguson)
Noel!
Steven Sametz
Viking Chorus (Christopher Aspaas)
Gloria
Greg Knauf
Chapel Choir (Christopher Aspaas)
Hymn: It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Tune: CAROL, Richard S. Willis, arr. Charles Forsberg
Massed Choirs, Congregation, and St. Olaf Orchestra (Steven Amundson)
Gospel Reading
Luke 2:1–20
Pastor Bruce Benson and Pastor Jennifer Koenig
During the Gospel: In Terra Pax (Excerpt)
Gerald Finzi
Massed Choirs and St. Olaf Orchestra (Sigrid Johnson)
Hymn: Hark! The Herald Angels sing
Tune: MENDELSSOHN, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, arr. John Ferguson
Massed Choirs, Congregation, and St. Olaf Orchestra (John Ferguson)
Before the Marvel of this Night
Carl Schalk
Chapel Choir and St. Olaf Orchestra (Christopher Aspaas)
Gloria
Ola Gjeilo
Manitou Singers and St. Olaf Orchestra (Sigrid Johnson)
Balulalow (Carols Ancient and New)
Robert Kyr
Viking Chorus (Christopher Aspaas)
In Thee is Gladness
Tune: IN DIR IS FREUDE, Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi, arr. Daniel Kallman
Cantorei (John Ferguson)
The Song of Peace
Olaf C. Christiansen
St. Olaf Choir (Anton Armstrong)
Ding, Dong! Merrily on High
Traditional, arr. Carolyn Jennings
St. Olaf Choir (Anton Armstrong)
This Christmastide
Donald Fraser
Massed Choirs and St. Olaf Orchestra (Anton Armstrong)
Carol: Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
Tune: IN DULCI JUBILO, German carol, 14th cent., arr. Robert Scholz
Massed Choirs, Congregation and St. Olaf Orchestra (Christopher Aspaas)
Glories Ring
Steven Amundson
St. Olaf Orchestra (Steven Amundson)
Carols for Choirs and Orchestra
arr. John Ferguson
Massed Choir – Individually and as an ensemble and St. Olaf Orchestra (All Conductors)
He Came Down That We May Have Love
Cameroon Traditional
Love Has Come
F. Seguin
On Christmas Night
English Traditional
Toda la tierra
(All Earth is Hopeful)
Alberto Taulé
Jeg er så glad
(I Am So Glad)
Peder Knudsen
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!
(Silent Night, Holy Night!)
Franz Gruber
Joy to the World
arr. Lowell Mason
arr. Steven Amundson
Lullaby on Christmas Eve
F. Melius Christiansen
Massed Choirs (Sigrid Johnson)
And God Said: One Day Shall Dawn (King David)
Arthur Honegger
Massed Choirs and St. Olaf Orchestra (Anton Armstrong)
Narration
Pastor Bruce Benson
Recessional Hymn: Lord of All Hopefulness
Tune: SLANE, Irish Traditional, arr. John Ferguson
Massed Choirs, Congregation and St. Olaf Orchestra (Anton Armstrong)
Nunc dimittis
René Clausen
Massed Choirs and St. Olaf Orchestra (Sigrid Johnson)
Beautiful Savior (Final Stanza)
Tune: CRUSADER'S HYMN, Silesian Folk Tune, arr. F. Melius Christiansen
Massed Choirs and St. Olaf Orchestra (Anton Armstrong)
