“Witnesses of Christmas,” a holiday musical concert hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and broadcast online Sunday, Dec. 19, will originate from the Rome Italy Temple Visitors’ Center and the historic Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The interfaith celebration will feature familiar Christmas carols like “Joy to the World,” “The First Noel” and “Away in a Manger” and performed by acclaimed violinist Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four and soprano vocalist Alexandra Sharpe. Danish actor Tomas Ambt Kofod will narrate.
The event will air Sunday at 6 p.m. Central European Time, which is noon Eastern, 10 a.m. Mountain and 9 a.m. Pacific.
The hour-long concert will feature musical performances blended with a biblical account of the Savior Jesus Christ’s humble birth in Bethlehem. The program will also include video excerpts from holiday celebrations in Germany, Austria, France and Spain, reflecting some of Europe’s diverse Christmas traditions.
Offered in 24 languages, “Witnesses of Christmas” can be viewed online on Facebook and YouTube and is available on-demand viewing through Jan. 6.
Featured performers
Oaks Baker is a Grammy-nominated, Billboard No. 1 performer and recording artist with 18 studio albums. A graduate of the Juilliard School, she has played at major venues across the globe. Family Four is comprised of her four children — violinist and percussionist Laura, pianist Hannah, celloist Sarah and classical guitarist Matthew.
Sharpe, an Irish singer/actress, has performed extensively in London’s West End and on the Irish stage. Internationally, she is best known as a founding member of Celtic Woman.
Koford, an actor and vocalist, has movie roles and stage performances that include leading roles in “Phantom of the Opera” and “Les Miserables.”
The concert is part of the “Light the World with Love” global Christmas campaign.
