Christmas Eve Live with Sarah Walker
Sarah Walker chooses three hours of attractive and uplifting music to complement your Christmas Eve, whether you’re decorating the Christmas tree or wrapping presents.
Sarah Walker celebrates Christmas Eve from her home with a hamper full of musical treats from around the world.
This evening, Sarah glimpses through the lighted windows of houses and apartments in France, Ukraine, Italy, Norway and beyond to discover the many ways Christmas Eve is marked. She’s curious about traditions like meat-free midnight feasts, festive breads, Christmas saunas and cooking carp. Guests join Sarah to tell us how they like to spend this magical evening, and Sarah shares favourite carols from some of their countries.
There’s also a feast of seasonal music to enjoy, including the merry finale from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, a carol from 1964 that’s rapidly becoming a classic, and a jazzy interpretation of Mykola Leontovych’s Carol of the Bells.
A Tandem Production for BBC Radio 3
Last on
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Norway, Poland, Portugal, Ukraine and Sweden
Duration: 05:58
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Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Italy
Duration: 03:53
Music Played
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen (Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, Part VI)
Ensemble: Septura. Conductor: Matthew Knight.- NAXOS.
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Traditional Czech
Pujdem spolu do Betlema (Let's go to Bethlehem together)
Choir: Czech Philharmonic Choir. Ensemble: Czech Chamber Soloists.- ARCO DIVA.
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Sandra Marteleur
En gangar till kaffet (A gangar with your coffee)
Performer: Sandra Marteleur. Performer: Gunnar Idenstam. Music Arranger: Gunnar Idenstam.- BIS.
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Trad.
Ding! Dong! Merrily on High
Performer: Douglas Tang. Music Arranger: Mack Wilberg. Choir: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.- KING'S COLLEGE.
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Anon.
La douçours
Ensemble: The Dufay Collective.- CHANDOS.
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Dieterich Buxtehude
Das neugeborne Kindelein, BuxWV13
Singer: Greta de Reyghere. Singer: Guy de Mey. Singer: Henri Ledroit. Singer: Max van Egmond. Ensemble: Ricercar Consort.- RICERCAR.
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Frederick Delius
Sleigh Ride (Winter Night)
Orchestra: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Davis.- Delius in Norway.
- CHANDOS.
- 5.
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Arnljot Hoyland
Julekveldsvise (Christmas Eve Song)
Lyricist: Alf Prøysen. Singer: Alf Prøysen. Ensemble: Willy Andresens Kvartett.- KIRKELIG KULTURVERKSTED.
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Heinrich Schütz
Hodie Christus natus est, SWV 456
Choir: Namur Chamber Choir. Ensemble: Ensemble La Fenice. Conductor: Jean Tubéry.- K617.
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Pavel Josef Vejvanovský
Sonata Natalis in C major
Performer: Mathias Schmutzler. Ensemble: Virtuosi Saxoniae. Conductor: Ludwig Güttler.- BERLIN CLASSICS.
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Maurice Walters
The Winter's Brightening
Performer: Richard Pearce. Music Arranger: Alexander L’Estrange. Music Arranger: Joanna Forbes. Choir: BBC Singers. Conductor: Nicholas Chalmers. -
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Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych
Carol of the Bells
Ensemble: Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra.- MCG JAZZ.
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Claude Debussy
The Snow is Dancing (Children's Corner, No. 4)
Performer: Noriko Ogawa.- Debussy: The Solo Piano Works: Noriko Ogawa.
- BIS.
- 20.
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Trad.
Joulupuu on rakennettu (The christmas tree is being built)
Choir: Candomino. Conductor: Tauno Satomaa.- FAZER RECORDS.
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Trad.
The Wexford Carol
Performer: Sam Lakeman. Performer: Ben Nicholls. Performer: James Fagan. Performer: Niall Murphy. Music Arranger: Cara Dillon. Music Arranger: Sam Lakeman. Singer: Cara Dillon.- CHARCOAL RECORDS.
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Gioachino Rossini
La Cenerentola (Overture)
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.- DG.
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Vasyl Zhdankin
Narodyvysya Boh na sanyakh (Christ was born on a sleigh)
Lyricist: Bohdan Ihor Antonych. Ensemble: ShockolaD.- SHOCKOLAD.
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The Nutcracker, Act 2, Sc. 3 (Le Chocolat; Danse Arabe; Trepak)
Music Arranger: Matthias Höfs. Ensemble: German Brass.- BERLIN CLASSICS.
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Alessandro Scarlatti
O di Betlemme, altera poverta ventu
Singer: Emma Kirkby. Ensemble: London Baroque. Conductor: Charles Medlam.- BIS.
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Giacomo Puccini
Astro del cielo
Lyricist: Angelo Meli. Music Arranger: Michael Kaye. Music Arranger: Eugene Kohn. Singer: Plácido Domingo. Orchestra: Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Eugene Kohn.- SONY.
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Trad.
While Shepherds Watched (Lyngham)
Composer: Thomas Jarman. Performer: Jon Boden.- NAVIGATOR.
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Niels Wilhelm Gade
Smaapigernes Dans (Bornenes Jul, Op. 36, No. 4)
Performer: Anker Blyme.- DACAPO.
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Vincent Guaraldi
Christmas is Coming (A Charlie Brown Christmas)
Ensemble: Vince Guaraldi Trio.- FANTASY.
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Ariel Ramírez
La Peregrinacion (The Pilgrimage)
Performer: The King’s Singers. Music Arranger: Peter Knight.- SIGNUM.
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Traditional Polish
Oj maluski, maluski (O little one)
Singer: Krystian Adam Krzeszowiak. Ensemble: Trio Con Passione.- WARNER.
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Frank Bridge
Sir Roger de Coverley
Music Arranger: Gudrun Hinze. Ensemble: Quintessenz.- GENUIN.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV 645
Performer: Murray Perahia.- SONY.
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Tomás Luis de Victoria
Natus est nobis
Ensemble: La Chambre du Roy René. Director: Stefano Somalvico.- TORCULUS RECORDS.
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Gustaf Nordqvist
Jul, jul, strålande jul (Christmas, Christmas, glorious Christmas)
Lyricist: Edvard Evers. Ensemble: The Real Group.- VIRGIN.
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Ralph Vaughan Williams
Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Singer: Roderick Williams. Choir: Joyful Company of Singers. Ensemble: City of London Sinfonia. Conductor: Richard Hickox.- CHANDOS.
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Eurico Carrapatoso
Ó Meu Menino (My little boy)
Composer: Traditional Portuguese. Ensemble: Grupo Vocal Olisipo.- DIALOGOS.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Von Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her (Orgelbüchlein, BWV 606)
Performer: James Lancelot.- PRIORY RECORDS.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Von Himmel kam der Engel Schar (Orgelbüchlein, BWV 607)
Performer: James Lancelot.- PRIORY RECORDS.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
In dulci jubilo (Orgelbüchlein, BWV 608)
Performer: James Lancelot.- PRIORY RECORDS.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Wir Christenleut (Orgelbüchlein, BWV 612)
Performer: James Lancelot.- PRIORY RECORDS.
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Walter Saul
A Christmas Symphony (IV. Gloria)
Orchestra: Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Theodore Kuchar.- NAXOS.
Broadcast
- Christmas Eve 2022 15:00BBC Radio 3
Music, food, ice-swimming... Christmas Eve traditions around Europe
Sarah Walker's invited guests talk about traditions in their own countries.