Honegger wrote several oratorios and cantatas from Le Roi David in his late twenties to this Christmas Cantata near the end of his life in 1953. The work is a journey towards the light. It opens in the darkness before the Creation was complete. An organ pedal and lower strings create a night atmosphere before a plucked bass sounds set the piece in motion. The chorus begins singing without words and the intensity builds up steadily with more voices and instruments joining in until reaching an intense climax that dies out in sadness. A break brings the angel voices of the children's choir. The rejoicing atmosphere is enhanced by the quotation of three Christmas Carols, one German, one English and one French. The baritone sings the words of the Gloria and the chorus joins in the celebration of Christmas. An orchestral postlude based on the same themes fades away gradually and the work ends peacefully with the low sounds of the organ pedal. ~ All Music Guide
