Hugo Distler’s exquisite Christmas narrative draws inspiration from German Protestant sacred music of the early Baroque era, particularly the music of Heinrich Schütz. Following Schütz’s example, Distler composed his Christmas story exclusively for vocalists – soloists and a 4-8-voiced ensemble. In Distler’s own words, it is described as an ‘Oratorium mit kammermusik-alishem Charakter’ (an oratorio with a chamber music-like character). The composition also incorporates sections of the beautiful choral piece Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, which makes seven appearances throughout the narrative, each time presented in a new harmonic colour.