After the first edition of Nativitas Italia, a network project created by an initiative of Usci Friuli Venezia Giulia that began in 2001 on the idea of the then president Sante Fornasier, this year the voice of the choirs for Christmas presents itself for the third time in the national edition with over than 1000 choral appointments. Thousands of choirs involved, from North to South, for a programme that includes 19 Regional Choral Associations.
The religious celebration of the Mystery of the Nativity has been enriched over the centuries by multiple literary, artistic and musical expressions, linked to important names in the history of western culture, but also to the genuine manifestation of popular sensitivity. However, the recurring and superficial images that the mass media society has revived in the last decades have contributed to create a distorted perception of Christmas, linked more to the laws of consumerism than to its real meaning. In order to help rediscover the richness of this moment, the Usci Friuli Venezia Giulia has been pursuing a specific commitment for many years through Nativitas (from the guidelines of Usci Friuli Venezia Giulia)
The general aims of the project, capturing some of the original elements of the project, are: rediscovery and valorisation of local musical traditions that are particularly significant and at risk of irreparable loss; stimulation of the comparison between different traditions and recovery of specific identities; awareness of the great variety of musical expressions that have been produced around Christmas over the centuries and in different places; proposal of repertoire ranging from ancient to contemporary, from the sacred to the profane music. In the period from late November to late January, the numerous concerts in the program celebrate Advent, contemplate the Immaculate Conception, find the fulcrum in the Nativity, honor St. Stephen, celebrate the Epiphany and accompany us in the new year. There are many choirs that, adhering to the proposals received from the respective regional associations, converge in a large national concert network that bears witness to the important cultural, social and valorization function of the traditions that the non-professional choral movement plays on the entire peninsula. A hymn to the future and the majesty of music on the occasion of the most emblematic and hopeful celebration, Christmas.
Happy Nativitas to everyone!