When we think of early music, we often might think of obscure songs written in strange symbols on parchment, found in a library somewhere across an ocean. In truth, many of our best-loved carols are actually very old. These carols come to us through a tradition of music performed over hundreds of years, and have survived not only because they are part of a continuing tradition but also because they affect us deeply. Each carol presents a concept in a simple, direct manner that appeals to our inherited joy in dance and in song.

In today’s performance we bring these old tunes into the present, played by instruments of the past. Instead of attempting to recreate a performance from the Baroque era, our arrangements are attempts to recreate the spirit of Christmas as it may have been felt long ago. Recorded live at St. John's Lutheran Church, November 27, 2010.