What’s better than some uplifting music when outside is chilly and dark?
“The Music of Christmas”, a 1956 television program, features MSU choral group The Madrigal Singers singing traditional Christmas carols, spirituals, and classical choral works. Produced by Michigan State University Television and presented by the Department of Music, this kinescope recording features the vocalists, first in an informal “living room” setting. The singers then make their way to the window as they hear church bells in the distance. The scene then transitions to a Christmas Eve church setting as the vocalists, now in robes, sing works by Michael Praetorius, J.S. Bach, and Healey Willan among others. The group finishes by humming “O Come All Ye Faithful”.
Check out MSU’s University Archives and Historical Collections’ On the Banks of the Red Cedar entry to listen to the performance. Enjoy!
