"Der Stern von Bethlehem"

Toonkunst Plus Amersfoort, a mixed choir of active seniors, will perform the beautiful Christmas cantata Der Stern von Bethlehem shortly before Christmas. This cantata, consisting of nine movements, was composed in Munich in 1890 by Josef Gabriel Rheinberger. He based it on a text written by his wife, the poet Fanny von Hoffnaass. Her poem about the birth of Jesus is evocative and colorful, and so is Rheinberger's romantic music. Text and music are beautifully matched and provide the ultimate Christmas experience. The listener is almost magically sucked into the story. He experiences how the earth quiets in anticipation of something miraculous, how the shepherds experience the appearance of the angel and rush to the stable. He hears how the kings gallop through the desert and are deeply saddened when they no longer see the star. All the greater joy when they rediscover the star that leads them to Bethlehem.
An important contribution to this concert, in which some carols will also be sung, will be made by the singers of Cantus Lux Aetherna and by pianist Henk Veldman. The whole event is conducted by Maria den Hertog.