More than 100 artists will awaken the Christmas spirit over two weeks in Isboa. This is the promise of the Equipment Management and Cultural Entertainment Company (EGEAC) regarding the city’s Christmas festivities, which kicked off on Friday, December 5th, with a show at the Church of São Vicente de Fora. But there is still a lot to see.
In the Music in Churches cycle, this Sunday, 7th, at 5pm, Sete Lágrimas, a project dedicated to the dialogues between Ancient Music and contemporary music, as well as classical music with secular traditions, presents The word – Voice and Silence in Iberian Devotionin the Church of Santa Isabel. “A repertoire that explores the universe in which words were already prayers before singing and singing became an echo of the life of each community”, says the program.
Still in this cycle that brings music to churches, which is designed by Filipe Faria, you can watch two other shows: on the 12th, at 9 pm, the Church of Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes is the stage for the show Beauty – Praise in Italian Baroque, by the group Altos do Bairro & Coro Alto, which invites you to a moment of devotion and listening, where music becomes an expression of faith and communion. On the 14th, at 5pm, the Chamber Choir of the Instituto Gregoriano de Lisboa will take a concert to the Church of the Seminary of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Luz, directed by conductor Filipa Palhares and with Ricardo Vicente on the piano.
The Christmas Festivities program, with free entry, continues until the 19th, also passing through Cinema São Jorge, the Capitol and the National Pantheon.
Inspired by the story of Raymond Briggs and the music of Howard Blake, the show Snowman combines cinema, narration and live music. On stage, at Cinema São Jorge on the 8th, Monday, at 4:30 pm, the Orquestra POP Portuguesa, directed by maestro Élio Leal, brings to life a tale about friendship, following a boy and his snowman.
On the 13th, at 9pm, at the Capitol, the voices of Katia Guerreiro, Cristina Branco and Hélder Moutinho join for the first time on stage the Portuguese guitar of Pedro de Castro, accompanied by André Ramos, on the fado guitar, and Francisco Gaspar, on the bass guitar, in the concert Lisbon Fado, Lisbon Natal.
Finally, on the 19th, the National Pantheon is the stage for the last show of the Christmas Festivities. A concert by Saint Dominic’s Gospel Choir that celebrates the magic of this time, in a vibrant atmosphere full of spirituality, where there will be no shortage of classics of the time and traditional Gospel spirituals.