On the eve of winter break, the young singers of the National Choirs dive into a program of beloved holiday repertoire. Christmas favorites such as Jingle Bell Rock and White Christmas sit side by side with medieval songs and choral works by Britten and Poulenc. All four choirs of the National Choirs, former ensemble in residence at TivoliVredenburg, come together for a celebration full of familiar music.
National Choirs
The National Choirs take young vocal talent between the ages of 6 and 29 under their wing. They see themselves as the national youth team of classical singing. The institute scouts, mentors, and trains its singers, and we have seen before that all this investment leads to world-class concerts. In the 2021-2022 season, the National Choirs were ensemble in residence at TivoliVredenburg.
From the Very Youngest Up
The National Choirs consist of four divisions: the National Children's Choir, the National Boys' Choir, the National Women's Youth Choir, and the National Mixed Youth Choir. Tonight all four choirs take the stage under the direction of Irene Verburg and László Norbert Nemes. Together they form the passionate artistic leadership team, coaching and conducting the children and young singers.
A few choices worth knowing: "Jong Oranje" is the Dutch national youth soccer team, which means nothing to an American reader, so I translated the idea rather than the name. "Schoolvakantie" became "winter break", the usual American term for the Christmas holidays. The choir names are literal translations; if the Nationale Koren use official English names on their website, those are preferable.