Joy to the World 2024: a guide to CBC Music's Christmas special
This popular annual broadcast takes place on Sunday, Dec. 22
Joy to the World, CBC Music's annual Euroradio holiday special, will take place on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. NT).
Paolo Pietropaolo will be your guide for this spectacular lineup of Christmas concerts originating from the countries of the European Broadcasting Union. One of the most popular events of the year on CBC Music, Joy to the World has been an annual tradition since 1995, uniting the globe through music for the holiday season. This year's broadcast will include performances from Iceland, Germany, Denmark, England, Spain, Lithuania, Latvia and Canada.
Scroll down for a detailed schedule, and don't forget to tune in on Dec. 22 on CBC Music or via CBC Listen.
Note: broadcast times are 30 minutes later in Newfoundland and Labrador.
9:05 a.m.: Reykjavík, Iceland
The day begins at Hallgríms Church in Reykjavík, where Steinar Logi Helgason leads the Brák Baroque Ensemble and Hallgrims Church Choir through two cantatas by J.S. Bach. You'll also hear Bach's Harpsichord Concerto No. 1 in D Minor with soloist Halldór Bjarki Arnarson.
10:05 a.m.: Saarbrücken, Germany
Next stop: Saarbrücken in Western Germany, where the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Axel Kober present a concert titled Winter Dreams. You'll hear works by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Ernö Dohnányi, performed at the Halberg Broadcasting Centre.
11:05 a.m.: Copenhagen, Denmark
From the 18th-century Garrison Church in central Copenhagen, the Danish Radio Vocal Ensemble and conductor Martina Batič perform a set of Christmas motets by Francis Poulenc. Then, they're joined by harpist Zachary Hatcher for Benjamin Britten's beloved A Ceremony of Carols.
12:05 p.m.: London, England
The BBC Singers join forces with their artist in residence, cellist and vocalist Abel Selaocoe, for a selection of traditional carols and festive music from around the world. Their performance comes to you from the Milton Court Concert Hall at the Barbican Centre.
1:05 p.m.: Barcelona, Spain
Renaissance choral music is the specialty of Cor Cererols and Marc Díaz. They'll fill the Palau de la Música Catalana, an architectural jewel in Barcelona's Sant Pere district, with the strains of works by Spanish composers Joan Cererols and Tomás Luis de Victoria.
2:05 p.m.: Dresden, Germany
Next: to the Kulturpalast in the heart of Dresden for a performance by one of Germany's leading choral ensembles, the Dresden Kammerchor. Founding director Hans-Christoph Rademann leads them through music by Michael Praetorius, Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms and Max Reger.
3:05 p.m.: Vilnius, Lithuania
Who better than the Baltic Way String Quartet to immerse you in the music of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania? Enjoy their performance of Christmas-tinged pieces by Pēteris Vasks, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis and Arvo Pärt.
4:05 p.m.: Riga, Latvia
Plainchant and polyphony merge in this musical evocation of Medieval Riga with the Schola Cantorum Riga and Guntars Prānis, who conducts and plays hurdy-gurdy. Improvisation and local music traditions infuse their performance of sacred chant and motets, recorded at Latvian Radio's Studio 1.
5:05 p.m.: Montreal
The day concludes at the beautiful Church of the Visitation in Montreal with traditional French and Québécois carols performed by soprano Marianne Lambert, harpist Valérie Milot, trumpeter Frédéric Demers and cellist Stéphane Tétreault.