The Song of the Ox and the Lamb

In *The Song of the Ox and the Lamb*, the Cantus Chamber Choir pays tribute to defenselessness as a virtue. The program is inspired by Lucebert’s (1924–1994) most famous line from the poem *The Very Old One Speaks*: “Everything of value is defenseless.”

The theme of defenseless value is explored through the Christmas story. Christmas is, par excellence, a celebration of vulnerability: a woman, her husband a humble carpenter; an ox, a lamb, some straw, a few shepherds, and an infant; the new parents are forced to flee violence shortly after the birth; the Christ Child spends his early years as a refugee in Egypt.

Featuring works such as Benjamin Britten’s *Rejoice in the Lamb*, choral music by Francis Poulenc, and a cantata by founder and conductor Karel Stegeman, Cantus draws attention to what is often overlooked: the small, the gentle, and the defenseless.

The Cantus Chamber Choir takes you on a musical journey filled with tenderness, compassion, and hope. A moving program that invites you to listen, reflect, and marvel.