Laud to the Nativity

SACC’s 2023 holiday offering centers around the stunning, yet rarely sung work, Laud to the Nativity by Ottorino Respighi.  He is best known for his Pines of Rome from 1910, but the Lauda per la Natività del Signore is a significant masterwork. It is, in effect, a large-scale Christmas carol with a chamber ensemble of flutes, oboes, English horn, bassoon, and four-hand piano filled with suggestions of 16th-century madrigals, Monteverdian arioso, and other pre-Classical music. It is filled with beautiful moments that reflect Respighi’s ability to observe and unfold the Christmas story with child-like radiance and yet rich significance. Also included are exquisite settings by John Tavener, Praetorius, Nelhybel, Steven Sametz, and other contemporary voices exploring the mystery of nativity. We are pleased to have the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio under the direction of Dr. Carolyn Cruse as our guest ensemble for this concert.  This concert is presented in part by funding from the City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture.