Stile Antico
A Spanish nativity
In this Christmas concert, Stile Antico takes you on a journey to the sensual musical world of Renaissance Spain and treats you to an irresistible mixture of sumptuous polyphony and infectiously cheerful folk dances. The focal point is the superbly rich mass by Alonso Lobo, written for Toledo Cathedral and based on a motet by Francisco Guerrero. Parts of the mass are alternated with joyful music and traditional dance rhythms by Mateo Flecha, lovely Christmas miniatures by Tomás Luis de Victoria and traditional ‘villancicos’ (Spanish Christmas carols). Just as the Epiphany is the high point of the Christmas season in Spain, the magnificent motet by Cristóbal de Morales that tells the story of Herod and the Three Kings is a suitable climax for this Christmas concert.