A King’s Christmas returns December 6 with a performance of Benjamin Britten’s charming 1948 cantata Saint Nicolas at the Cathedral Church of All Saints. The King’s College Chapel Choir and the King’s Chorus will be joined by acclaimed Canadian tenor Benjamin Butterfield in the role of Saint Nicolas, a chamber orchestra and several choristers from Capella Regalis Boys Choir.
Saint Nicolas chronicles the life of the titular fourth-century bishop and saint from his birth to his death. The libretto, written by Britten’s longtime collaborator Eric Crozier, recounts dramatic stories of miracles performed by Saint Nicolas, including surviving a voyage on stormy seas and the legend of the ‘pickled boys.’ Interspersed among these spectacular scenes are introspective first-person narratives sung by the saint himself, detailing his internal struggle in finding his faith, and his time in prison during Roman Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians. Twice in the cantata, the audience is invited to join the choir in singing hymns. Britten’s music matches the whimsy and tenderness of Crozier’s text, resulting in a work beloved by musicians and audiences alike.
Britten was commissioned to compose Saint Nicolas in 1947 by Lancing College, a boarding school in Sussex, England for its centenary celebrations. The school was the alma mater of Britten’s longtime partner Peter Pears, who debuted the role of Saint Nicolas at the cantata’s premiere. The premiere featured not only the Lancing College choir, but also the choirs of five other schools. Britten, being the inventive composer that he was, composed different parts for each choir throughout the work. Additionally, Britten’s production made use of the architectural features of the Lancing College Chapel by stationing semi choruses in the gallery.
The King’s performance in Halifax on December 6 will pay homage to Britten’s ingenuity by featuring not just one choir, but both King’s choirs and a number of choristers from Capella Regalis Boys Choir. This multitude of blended voices in the vast acoustic of the Cathedral Church of All Saints will offer to Halifax a similar experience to that of the original audience at Lancing College in 1948.
Britten died at the age of 63 on December 4, 1976, just two days before Saint Nicolas’ Day. With a performance of this cantata on Saint Nicolas’ Day, nearly 50 years to the day after the composer’s death, A King’s Christmas 2026 honours Benjamin Britten’s life and legacy.
Come and hear this extraordinary 20th-century cantata, along with a smattering of Advent and Christmas carols, in the stunning acoustic of All Saints Cathedral on Sunday, December 6!
