Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

The Unusual Suspects

No “Jingle Bells.” No Messiah. Not even a little fa-la-laing. The Rose Ensemble’s annual holiday program is devoid of the usual suspects. Instead, the 15-year-old St. Paul, Minn., chorus founded by heralded music scholar Jordan Sramek digs deeper into sacred history, unearthing ancient music in a repertoire spanning 1000 years, and leaping from Christian to Jewish to Islamic to early American song specimens usually found hidden in library archives. For the ensemble’s Lane Series concert, La Nochebuena: A Spanish Renaissance Christmas, the focus is on rare choral selections ranging from Spanish-language villancicos to motets by Cristóbal de Morales. The viola da gamba, vihuela da mano and baroque violin help usher in rhythmic Spanish dances — and the holiday spirit.