Carols, Christmas trees, mistletoe and gift-giving, are just some of the rituals we associate with this time of year. But they’re all much older than the word ‘Christmas’ itself. Take trees for example, they were kept inside to protect the spirits of nature from the encroaching cold. And as for carols, well, people have been singing songs to ring in the winter solstice for longer than history records. Only the theme of the songs has changed with time.
The first songs written specifically about Christmas were austere and, frankly, frightening hymns about the suffering that awaited sinners after death. Northern Europeans only became aware of this tradition in the 9th and 10th centuries, as singing became a more accepted part of church-going. But the first carols we would describe as merry were written some time in the 1800s. Fortunately, these were the ones catchy enough to still be sung today. And they’re also the ones you’ll be lending your voice to at the Emirates Palace on December 10, if you’re inclined to partake of a bit of carol singing yourself.
Last year with the ‘Christmas Symphony’, the UAE Philharmonic Orchestra gave residents of the capital a chance to experience traditional festive music the way it was meant to be heard. And because it was such a big hit, they’re doing it all again, with high hopes that it catches on as an annual tradition.
Now we know classical music isn’t for everyone. To some of us, it might feel a bit like eating your vegetables: you know it’s good for you, but you’d rather skip straight to the dessert. But Christmas is one time the cultured and the less so can come together over this. And if you’re not familiar with the orchestra, it might convince you to know that they’re as assorted bunch, who have a reputation for performing versatile and innovative concerts, like their highly successful cross-over-project, ‘Jazz meets Mozart.’
In that vein, they’ve brought together a diverse group of talent for this year’s carol concert. Man of honour and musical director Philipp Maier (think ‘Open Your Eyes’ – the symphonic rock spectacular) will be joined by the Al Khubairat community choir.
Having performed on two occasions at Emirates Palace with top American conductor Keith Lockhart, and then with the BBC concert orchestra, these guys are active both nationally and overseas. In Bahrain, they’ve collaborated with the Manama Singers in a performance of African Sanctus, and what’s more some of their members will be taking part in the annual Christmas concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall this year.
Lead by Jonathan Lyall, the Al Khubairat Singers will be attending on December 10 to sing along with you. And they’re sure to work the crowd if the audience-cum-participants (that’s you) turns out to be a little shy. But of course, no carol concert is complete without one of the UAE’s most reputable sopranos, Maria Glück. She’ll be returning this year, to make the evening just that little bit more special.
‘It’ll be a night of festive fun,’ says organiser Quentin Kurtis. ‘With plenty of opportunities for young and old to clear their lungs and sing along to everyone’s favourite seasonal tunes.’ And for those of you that feel an event can never truly be festive without food, fret not. Emirates Palace will be offering a fantastic seasonal spread, with mince pies, Christmas cake and all the old standbys you’d expect at this time year. That said, you might want to eat either a little bit before or after breaking out into song; doing both at the same time could get messy.
Tickets are Dhs150 for adults, Dhs75 for under 11s and are available at www.timeouttickets.com. A Christmas Symphony will commence from 8pm on December 10 at Emirates Palace Auditorium (02 690 7999).
