Xmas songs go traditional

Xmas songs go traditional

JAKARTA (JP): Vocalista Sonora, a choir and orchestra from
Yogyakarta, kicked off the Christmas season Saturday by
performing at the PLN Concert Building.

They performed 19 Christmas songs, including some that are
drawn from, or combined with, local spiritual values, traditions
and cultures. Some of the numbers were accompanied by local
instruments such as a large drum from Nias, a tambourine from
Kei, a gong from Flores, and gamelan from Java.

"It's an experiment," Father Karl-Edmund Prier SJ, the
conductor of the 80-person orchestra, said. "We try to integrate
the native cultures and spirit in our liturgy, so that Gospel
songs are enriched."

The group also performed Christmas songs from Ireland, Puerto
Rico, Argentina, Spain, and Poland.

The choir was sponsored by the Catholic Businessmen's
Dedication of the Diocese of Jakarta. (05)