Introduced by Anthony Burton.
1.00 Germany
Festive music from 18th-century
Germany: soloists, the Favorit- und
Capell Choir, Leipzig, and La Stagione , Frankfurt, are conducted by Michael Schneider in Telemann's oratorio The
Shepherds at the Manger in Bethlehem.
2.00 Denmark
Twentieth-century Danish music for Christmas and traditional songs, performed in Aarhus Cathedral by the Jutland Chamber Choir and Ensemble
2000, director Mogens Dahl.
3.00 Portugal
The Porto Cathedral Choir and National
Orchestra, conductor Manuel Ivo
Cruz, perform responsories by 18th-century composer Carvalho, plus traditional Portuguese Christmas songs.
4.00 Poland
Poulenc Christmas Motets
Lutoslawski Christmas Carols
Olga Pasiecznik (soprano), Warsaw
National Philharmonic Chorus, Warsaw
Sinfonia, conductor Antoni Wit
5.00 Slovenia
Et in Terra Pax. Marko Munih conducts the Tone Tomsic Academic Choir, the Slovenian Radio Youth Choir and SO, and soloists in Frank Martin 's oratorio for peace, composed at the end of the Second World War.
6.00 France
Christmas music by composers from 18th-century Catalonia, performed by Francis Chapelet (organ), the Radio
France Choir School and La Simphonie du Marais, director Hugo Reyne.
7.00 United Kingdom
Gallery carols and Christmas anthems from the parish churches and chapels of early-19th-century England, performed by Psalmody, director
Peter Holman. With soloists Philippa Hyde , Timothy Brown , Jennie Cassidy , Patrick McCarthy and Adrian Peacock.
8.00 Finland
A symphony by the 18th-century
Swede Johan Helmich Roman , songs by Sibelius, a work by modern-day
Estonian Arvo Part, and Finnish folk-fiddling - a Christmas potpourri with soprano Ritva-Liisa Korhonen and the Ostrobothnian Chamber
Orchestra, conductor Juha Kangas.
9.00 Iceland
Solo singers, two organists and six choirs combine in seasonal music ranging from medieval Christmas songs, through motets by Palestrina, Merulo and Buxtehude, to Icelandic Christmas hymns and songs by modern-day Icelandic composers. BBC producer Lindsay Kemp