A Skylark Christmas

Skylark Vocal Ensemble, one of Greater Boston’s premier professional vocal ensemble, presents its first Newburyport performance of A Skylark Christmas. Designed to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the death of composer Hugo Distler, A Skylark Christmas features all seven of Distler’s variations on the timeless Christmas hymn Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming) interwoven with works that share a historical or compositional connection to Distler’s.

The annual journey includes selected excerpts of the Christmas story from the King James Bible. Music by Herbert Howells, Reginald Jacques, Jean Mouton, Elizabeth Poston, John Tavener, Pierre Villette, and Peter Warlock, in addition to three world premieres seemingly forgotten by history: Salvatorem expectamus by Gregorio Allegri, Salve Regina by Giovanni Bernandino Nanino, and Marie berçant l’Enfant Jésus by Georges Dupuy de Méry is also featured.