A Christmas Offering

Inspired by Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, Kristina Arakelyan’s nine-movement A Christmas Offering is a festive celebration that ranges from the energetic Alleluia, the contemplative Out of the East, and heartfelt moments such as in There is no rose. Scored for SATB chorus with harp (or piano), it was first performed in 2024 at Snape Maltings by Pembroke College Chapel Choir directed by Anna Lapwood. Like Britten, Arakelyan draws her texts from medieval carols in Latin and early English, which not only tell the nativity story, but also look ahead to Christ’s suffering and crucifixion. The musical language itself often alludes to a medieval sound world, but with a contemporary twist and drawing on her own Armenian heritage and other Eastern influences, Arakelyan brings the texts to life in this exciting new collection of carols.