Saint-Saëns' Oratorio de Noël

In 1860, Camille Saint-Saëns composed his Oratorio de Noël for five vocal soloists, mixed choir, strings, organ and harp. The work, sung in Latin, is based on texts from the Old and New Testaments, the psalms and gospels, as well as the Catholic Christmas liturgy. This Christmas oratorio has become one of Saint-Saëns' most performed works thanks to its pastoral atmosphere, chamber music-like instrumentation and lyrical solo parts. Opening work is Haydn's London Symphony No. 96, which owes its nickname to the premiere when a candelabra caused a fire that "miraculously" could be extinguished. It is followed by Franz Schubert's Second Mass, which he penned in a week at age 18 for the benefit of a funeral service in the village church of Liechtental near Vienna.