A Christmas Carol

The Hong Kong Sinfonietta invites you to welcome the festive season, accompanied by the crystalline, melodic tones of the harp and the warm, evocative sounds of a choir. Under the baton of Music Director Christoph Poppen, the concert opens with Benjamin Britten’s *A Ceremony of Carols*, featuring the acclaimed local choir NOĒMA and Vienna Philharmonic principal harpist Anneleen Lenaerts—a collaboration that promises to weave a pure, ethereal Christmas atmosphere. Lenaerts will then take center stage as soloist for Glière’s Harp Concerto in E-flat major, showcasing the instrument’s capacity for both brilliant, dazzling virtuosity and delicate, refined elegance. A highly regarded harpist of our time, Lenaerts has performed as a soloist with world-renowned ensembles, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Brussels Philharmonic. Joining NOĒMA and the orchestra, four distinguished vocalists—Louise Kwong, Ema Nikolovska, Johannes Martin Kränzle, and Isaac Droscha—will perform C. P. E. Bach’s magnificent *Magnificat*, inviting the audience to share in the hope, joy, and blessings that music brings.