The Constellation Choir & Ensemble / Gardiner

Who doesn’t remember the magic of Christmas as a child? Sir John Eliot Gardiner, now 83, also looks back on how he once experienced this special time at his parents’ home in Dorset, England. Every year, a nativity play combining music, speech and pantomime took place there, in which not only the family but also many other local people took part. The conductor captures the joyful anticipation of the festival with festive music spanning five centuries. With his Constellation Choir & Orchestra – a select ensemble of outstanding musicians – he presents a programme featuring a variety of musical gems, ranging from Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina to William Byrd and Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, right through to Herbert Howells, Robert Armstrong and John Gardner.