The Festas de Natal (Christmas Festivities) are almost upon us and they’ll be bringing choirs, orchestras, ensembles, bands, soloists and even DJs to churches and other venues.
This year, this programme of free musical performances will take place in three churches (in the parishes of Campo de Ourique, Misericórdia and Areeiro) and at the Capitólio.
The programme includes four concerts and a DJ set, offering a variety of styles – from baroque music and electronic sounds to Portuguese music and popular international hits from the 1930s to the 1960s. It’s a musical journey through time, transporting us back to the moment of Jesus’ birth, to Ferdinand Magellan’s circumnavigation of the globe, as well as the brilliance of the Bach family and the swing and rock ‘n’ roll eras.
The programme will begin on 30 November with a performance by the Lisboa Cantat Chamber Choir at the Igreja do Santo Condestável at 21.00. Conducted by Jorge Carvalho Alves, the choir will perform Renaissance vilancicos and motets, as well as traditional Portuguese songs newly interpreted by composers Fernando Lopes-Graça, Eurico Carrapatoso and Fernando Lapa.
In December, we’ll be bringing music to two more churches. On 6 December, the Nova Era Vocal Ensemble & Orquestra 1755 will perform compositions from seven generations of the Bach family at the Igreja de Nossa Senhora das Mercês. On 13 December, the Sete Lágrimas project will perform a programme inspired by the circumnavigation of the globe by Magellan and Elcano, recreating traditional sounds from five continents. Both concerts will begin at 21:00.
The Capitólio in Parque Mayer will host two shows. On 7 December, at 21:30, the Luso-Angolan artist Batida and the Portuguese musician and composer Tigerman will perform an unprecedented DJ set that blends Afro-electronic beats and blues. On 14 December, The Lucky Duckies, a band inspired by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Elvis Presley, will take to the stage with a festive repertoire which will include Christmas classics, original songs and a tribute to António Variações, 40 years after his death.
