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Audio kindly supplied by Universal Music
Nutcracker excerpts from The Nutcracker (Complete Ballet)
Kirov Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg
Carol excerpts from Essential Carols: The Very Best of King's College Choir, Cambridge

For Christmas 2011 we wanted to offer you something
a little different.

In Europe, when the seasons have turned towards
winter, days become shorter, the weather turns cold
and people start building snowmen, roasting
chestnuts and huddling around an open fire.

Such a contrast to what we experience in Australia
with summer, holidays and the beach.

So we have invited the Sydney Youth Orchestra to
join VOX to evoke a special European Christmas
feel in the Sydney Opera House.

Under the baton of their director, Elizabeth Scott,
this family concert will feature all your favourite
Christmas carols alongside Tchaikovsky's classic Nutcracker Suite.

Be transported to Christmas in the snow and
candlelight as voices and instruments unite to
herald in the festive season.

If you are good, there may even be a special visit
from someone who lives a good deal further north!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Read more about Tchaikovsky here

 

European Christmas repertoire

J. S. Bach	Opening Chorus from Cantata no. 63
Vaughan Williams	Fantasia on Christmas Carols
arr. Willcocks	Ding Dong Merrily on High
Howells	A Spotless Rose
Poulenc	O Magnum Mysterium
Mendelssohn arr. Willcocks	Hark the Herald Angels Sing (with audience)
arr. Jacques	Angels From the Realms of Glory (with audience)
Rutter	Shepherd’s Pipe Carol
INTERVAL
arr. Pearsall	In dulci jublio
Tchaikovsky	Nutcracker Suite No. 1: Overture in Miniature; Arabian Dance; Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy; Russian Dance "Trepak"
arr. Chilcott	Lully Lulla (Coventry Carol)
Adolphe Charles Adam arr. Wilberg	O Holy Night
Ukrainian Carol	Carol of the Bells
Franz Gruber	Silent Night
Handel	The Trumpet Shall Sound
arr. Willcocks	O Come all ye Faithful (with audience)
Traditional	We wish you a Merry Christmas (with audience)
Handel	Hallelujah Chorus

JAMES VALENTINE
COMPERE

James Valentine is a broadcaster, writer and musician. He can be heard each weekday afternoon on 702 ABC Sydney. He writes a weekly column for the Australian newspaper and his jazz quartet performs regularly around Sydney.

 

SIMON LOBELSON
BARITONE

Simon Lobelson interview on 2MBS, December 2012

Born in Sydney and brought up in Brussels, Simon Lobelson gained his Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours from the University of Sydney and completed his Opera Diploma with distinction at The Royal College of Music. He has since worked as a soloist in Australia, the Middle East, Asia, the United Kingdom and Europe.

Simon has appeared with companies such as The Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Pinchgut Opera, English Touring Opera, amongst many others in a wide range of roles.

On the concert platform, highlights have included Haydn's Creation and Nelson Mass with the Israel Camerata and London Mozart Players, Mozart's Requiem and Great Mass in C minor, Messiah, A Sea Symphony, Ein Deutsches Requiem, Elijah, Carmina Burana and Rameau's Les Grands Motets with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

His recordings include Purcell's The Fairy Queen and Charpentier's David et Jonathas for ABC Classics, as well as having appeared on BBC Radio 3, both ABC Classic FM and 2MBS FM, and on the inflight soundtrack for British Airways and Qantas flights.