Latin America’s music world is known for being vivacious and diverse, whereby Christmas music is often European-influenced. Canta Navidad brings together 14 songs that are secular, traditional and folkloric and convey a wonderful impression of the Christmas music culture of Latin America. This choral cantata tells the Christmas story on the basis of different Latin American music styles – from Argentina to Mexico – in four parts:
- Advent and Annunciation
- The Shepherds
- Birth of Jesus
- After the Birth
In addition to the original lyrics in Portuguese, Spanish or Quechua, all the songs in this collection include a singable English and German translation. The part settings for mixed choir SATB or SAB are mostly kept simple – some arrangements are close to the original and others are somewhat more sophisticated. The focus is on the typical styles and rhythms from Latin America.
A children's choir can also be included in a performance of the Christmas cantata (photocopiables for the children in the full score).