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    Back
    Thu, Nov 19, 2026, 6:00PM

    Sacred Songs, Folk Roots: The Making of the Christmas Carol

    A part of the Juilliard Extension program
    Rosen House Music Room
    Tickets: $85

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    Know Before You Go

    Music Room

    At the heart of the historic Rosen House, the Music Room is a soaring yet intimate space used for chamber music, recitals, American roots music and jazz performances, as well as lectures and Caramoor's popular Afternoon Teas. You’ll find yourself surrounded with Renaissance furniture, stained glass windows and architectural elements the Rosens collected and installed in this unique space. Only covered beverages are permitted inside during performances.

    Click to view all upcoming Music Room concerts.

    Sacred Songs, Folk Roots: The Making of the Christmas CarolThu, Nov 19, 2026, 6:00PMloading...

    Overview

    Long before becoming synonymous with Christmas, carols originated in medieval Europe as lively folk dances structured around alternating stanzas and refrains. Over centuries, this versatile genre moved from communal revelry into sacred traditions, giving rise to some of the world’s most cherished anthems. This lecture explores that rich evolution through the surprising backstories of several iconic carols, including "Veni Emmanuel," which originated as a funeral chant; “O Tannenbaum," a tribute to nature that doubled as a Civil War anthem; and "Stille Nacht," written in a quiet Austrian village before famously echoing across a World War I battlefield. Together, these vignettes reveal how local folk customs and monastic devotion intersected to forge a global holiday tradition. 

    Featured Concert Repertoire to be Explored:

    • Spencer: The Lamb
    • Harrison: Tiny Child
    • Whitacre: Lux Aurumque
    • Izumi: "Miagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi o"
    • Ramírez: "Los Pastores"
    • Quartel: Sing, My Child
    • Traditional Slovenian: Ta Stara Božična Pejsen” (arr. Janez Močnik)
    • Biebl: Ave Maria
    • Gruber: “Stille Nacht” (“Silent Night”) (arr. Christopher Harris)
    • Traditional English: "O Come, All Ye Faithful" (arr. Christine Donkin)
    • Arnesen: Even When He Is Silent
    • Camm: Alleluia! Into the Light
    • Uusberg: Mis on inimene
    • Vergara: Mensaje de Paz (arr. Alberto de la Paz)
    • Robles: Kujichagulia
    • Rachmaninoff: "Bogoroditse Devo” (arr. Thomas Beveridge)"
    • Traditional Scottish: “Auld Lang Syne” (arr. Jo Goldsmith-Eteson)


    Taught by Juilliard Extension Music Theory and Analysis Chair     Patrick Kreeger.

    Great Primer For...

    Christmas with Cantus performance on Sunday, Dec 6, 2026.  LEARN MORE.

    About the Juilliard Extension Series

    Caramoor is teaming up with Juilliard to offer a series of six Extension classes, open to all, offering audiences the opportunity to dive deeper into the themes presented on stage throughout the Rosen House Concert Series. Participants will learn from some of the most acclaimed professors and lecturers and engage in thoughtful discussion with fellow music lovers. Classes can be taken individually or as an entire series.

    Also in the Series:

    Thursday, October 22 / 6:00pm
    From Beethoven to Bartók: The Expanding World of Chamber Music

    Thursday, November 19 / 6:00pm
    Sacred Songs, Folk Roots: The Making of the Christmas Carol

    Thursday, January 14 / 10:00m
    Night, Memory, & Imagination: The Romantic Piano Tradition

    Wednesday, March 24 / 6:00pm
    The String Quartet Across Three Centuries

    Thursday, April 7 / 6:00pm
    Music, Faith, & Power in the Baroque World

    By purchasing a ticket for this event, you consent to receive email communications from both Caramoor and our event partner, Juilliard Extension, including updates related to this event and future programming. You may unsubscribe from either organization's emails at any time.

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