Christmas Gospel in Vienna

For many years already, people have been able to attend concerts by gospel choirs during the Christmas season in Vienna. Far removed from the usual Christmas songs such as “Last Christmas,“ “Jingle Bells” and “Rudolf, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” which are played relentlessly starting in mid-November, you can enjoy an evening full of cheerful, life-affirming and above all sweeping rhythms.

Harlem Christmas Gospel

The spirited performances offer insight into the great tradition of African American music and create a Christmas spirit in a way that we only seldom experience in our culture.

You have the choice

The Harlem Christmas Gospel Singers perform at the Minoritenkirche (Minority Church). Not far from the Alt-Wiener Christkindlmarkt (traditional Viennese Christmas market) on the Freyung and the Christmas market Am Hof, Pastor Alvin Freeland with his Harlem Reach Ensemble presents an entertaining program of gospels, spirituals and traditional music, as well as spiritedly arranged international Christmas carols. The church is well-heated!

At Karlskirche (St. Charles’s Church), directly in front of the arts and crafts Christmas market Am Karlsplatz, the Christmas Gospel shake the church walls – the perfect ambiance to set the Christmas mood.

The American Christmas Gospel with Stella Jones are performing at the Votivkirche (Votive Church).

Participation desired

The acoustic is perfect: The singers’ powerful voices resonate through the church nave. After holding back in the beginning, the audience also starts to clap and sing. In hits such as “Swing Low,” “Happy Day,” “Oh when the Saints,” “Amazing Grace,” etc., which are part of every program, the mood becomes jolly and cheerful.

Tickets are also available on short notice – at the online ticket shops or at the box office.

What does “gospel” mean?

Derived from Old English, “gospel” means “good news,” and it described the development of Christian music on the American continent in the broadest sense. Beginning with gospel song of the 19th century all the way to Christian pop music, the term in its narrower sense refers to church music of African American communities. Wikipedia