Discover the many faces of St Nicholas! Surely best known to us from 5 December, but know that centuries-old legends precede it. Who was 'Saint Nicolas'? In a nine-volume work, the stories of Saint Nicholas, lesser known to many, are told. And introduces you to the wondrous path he took to finally become in title as we know him best: Saint Nicholas.

The text of 'Saint Nicolas' was written by Eric Crozier after intensive research into the legendary life of the Bishop of Myra located in what was then Lycia (now Turkey). Crozier's libretto portrays the Saint as a fearless daredevil by exaggerating the legends and accumulated glory of centuries surrounding Nicholas.

Britten's music enhances this drama through striking contrasts in the instrumentation, the style of the sung parts and musical textures.

Nice to know: this work was the first that Britten wrote specifically for amateur musicians. To make the story complete, it therefore includes a special passage where you, the audience, get to sing along.

Reflections

In 2019, the idea arose from Brabant Choir to develop musical projects in very close cooperation with Fontys Academy of the Arts that highlight the live performance of music for (large) choir and orchestra in a new way. Themes from a choral work are used to get young people to reflect on a possible meaning from their own perspective through various artistic expressions. The free interpretation produces fascinating results and a new perspective on a concert to be performed and its experience, both for the performers and the audience. After Reflections on Gilgamesh (2020) and Reflections on Our Time (2022), in 2024, as part of 'Reflections on...', we perform this more compact version around the 'Saint Nicolas Cantata' which, by itself through the nine legends that comprise it, reflects on this famous Saint. There will be another larger production in 2025 as part of 'Reflections on...'.

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