Vancouver men’s choir Chor Leoni will perform the ‘very powerful, and very moving’ All is Calm between Dec. 19-21.
It is one of the most beautiful images to come out of one of the world's most horrific conflicts.
On Christmas Day, 1914, more than 100,000 Allied and German soldiers laid down their arms, came out from their trenches, crossed enemy lines and celebrated Christmas with the men who, just hours before, were in their weapons' crosshairs.
They sang songs, shared gifts and even exchanged prisoners. In some areas, the Christmas Truce was said to last several hours; in others, it lasted several weeks.
This year, beloved Vancouver men's choir Chor Leoni marks the 100th anniversary of that occasion with All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, a powerful work by Peter Rothstein that weaves a cappella renditions of First World War songs, Celtic ballads and seasonal carols with text from soldiers' journals, poems, radio broadcasts and more.
"It's very powerful, and very moving," says Chor Leoni artistic director Erick Lichte, who arranged the music for the piece when he was with Cantus, the renowned American choral ensemble that first performed All Is Calm as a radio drama in 2007. It has since been broadcast and performed around the world.
"You know that after this truce they're going back to war, but there is an enormous amount of hope that, in this incredibly dire and desperate situation, at Christmastime people can find it in themselves to transform and become their best selves. These men found the best of their own humanity and were able to share that together."
Mr. Lichte says that at times the arrangements reflect the rough simplicity of the soldiers' voices, while at others they become lush and harmonically complex. At one point during Silent Night, three sections of the choir are singing in different languages and in three different keys, trying to achieve harmony. Eventually they do.
"This show has reinvigorated my belief in the message 'Peace on earth, goodwill to all.' And that can sound like such a bromide, but, for at least that night in 1914, it was true – and it was heard, and they did something about it," says Mr. Lichte, who adds that the piece honours the lowly foot soldiers on the front lines. "So you have to believe and open yourself up to the possibility of that transformation, of hearing that message."