Christmas is a holiday full of paradoxes. On one hand, it brings joy at the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah. On the other, it recalls the story of his birth in poverty, marked by suffering and future sacrifice. Although the repertoire of Christmas carols theoretically focuses on a single event, it is not limited to a religious message. It is a multidimensional story about the culture, time and sensitivity of the people who have created Christmas stories over the centuries. Their lyrics and music, often strongly rooted in local realities, convey images of the flora, fauna, customs and emotions of a given place. For example, in a certain Baroque villancico, the baby Jesus appears as a bullfighter facing a bull – a figure of evil (he must lose this fight for his mission to be fulfilled).

The carol genre – seemingly perfectly familiar – turns out to be a space of endless invention. A single melody can be used in dozens of arrangements: from simple monophonic forms to complex vocal-instrumental textures. This diversity of the carolling heritage has been explored for many years by the Warsaw Philharmonic Choir, which each year offers a new, carefully thought-out programme of December concerts. The concerts feature works old and contemporary, Polish and foreign – diverse, yet consistent in their emotional power. All of this so that, if only for a moment, amid the darkness and cold of a winter’s day, we can relish the warmth that has emanated from the sounds of Christmas carols for centuries.

Bartłomiej Gembicki