Border CrosSing continues its holiday tradition of performing Ariel Ramírez’s 20th-century masterwork Navidad Nuestra paired with villancicos from Mexico, Bolivia, and Peru, performed in Spanish and Nahuatl. The music on this program focuses on the Holy Family’s role as refugees in the Christmas story, a perspective that is often left out in concert programming in the United States.
Music from Latin America dating back to the 1500s is a central part of this program. Each of these pieces celebrates a different aspect of the season, illuminating historical and spiritual connections worlds apart. Listeners have often remarked on how timely and surprisingly modern these Baroque musical gems sound today.
The concerts feature Border CrosSing’s award-winning choral ensemble, soloists, a full Andean band playing traditional South American instruments such as zampoñas, charango, and bombo, as well as several of the Twin Cities’ top early music instrumentalists. This concert offers a rare opportunity to hear the combination of Andean and European instruments in joyful celebration.