Song of Joy – For us, Christmas begins in the rehearsal room

Since the end of the summer break, we in the “Song of Joy” choir have been rehearsing every week again. Whilst autumn is in full swing outside, we’re already focusing on Christmas in our music. We’re preparing for our concert “Julens tid är här” – “The Christmas season is here”. On 21 and 22 November 2026, we’ll be performing alongside an orchestra at Kulturbruket in Mellerud.

When I look at our programme, I see more than just a collection of well-known Swedish and international Christmas carols. For me, there is a common theme running through it all: the hope that light, peace and togetherness are possible even where it is dark. Some songs express this explicitly in Christian terms, whilst others do so through memories, shared celebrations or the longing for a better world.

Light and peace – more than just a Christmas idyll

Our programme features familiar Swedish Christmas carols such as ‘Nu tändas tusen juleljus’, ‘Stilla natt’ and ‘Gläns över sjö och strand’. The image of light is particularly vivid in ‘Nu tändas tusen juleljus’: The candles on the dark earth and the stars in the sky point to the Christmas message. But the light is not meant to remain outside; rather, it is to bring hope and peace into homes and into hearts.

‘Jul, jul, strålande jul’ is also more than just a beautiful winter scene. The lyrics begin with white forests and twinkling lights, but then turn their attention to war, suffering and people of different generations. At Christmas, we pray for peace – especially where it is lacking.

This theme extends to ‘Someday at Christmas’. The song envisions a world without war, hunger or fear, in which people live as equals and look after one another. At the same time, it acknowledges that this future may not be realised in our lifetime. For me, this is a hope that offers no facile reassurance: it names what is not yet right.

Community – and the question of where Christmas has gone

Another aspect of the programme is about being together. ‘’Til the Season Comes ’Round Again’ brings family and friends together around a table. It is about consciously experiencing a shared moment and carrying it with us throughout the year.

‘Where Are You Christmas?’, on the other hand, begins with a question: why can’t we find that Christmas feeling of old any more? The song takes the change and loss of that feeling seriously. Its answer ultimately lies not in a perfect re-enactment of past celebrations, but in the love and care that bind people together.

Thus, joy and longing stand side by side in our programme. Not every song assumes that we are already in a festive mood. Some are only just beginning to search for what might make Christmas meaningful.

Wonder, stillness and shared joy

The Christian Christmas story is, of course, also an important part of the concert. ‘Mary Did You Know’ looks at the child from the perspective of questions posed to Mary: does she know what significance his life will one day hold? The intimate bond between mother and child is linked here to the great hopes for healing and salvation.

The programme also features festive pieces such as ‘Joy to the World’, ‘Jingle Bells’ and a Christmas medley. After the interval, the women’s choir opens the second half with ‘Sankta Lucia’. Solos, duets, small groups and the whole choir take turns; for ‘Härlig är jorden’, the programme also includes a section where everyone sings together with the band. ‘Joyful, Joyful’ is planned as an encore.

I like this variety: the programme leaves room for quieter moments, for different voices and for the joy of making music together.

Rehearsals will continue until November

Our programme comprises 19 pieces and an encore. Eight tracks are marked as new songs or older arrangements in a fresh style. So we’re not just revisiting familiar pieces, but also discovering new ones – although for me, everything is new.

A concert like this begins long before the performance. It begins in the weekly rehearsals, in the repetition, listening and coming together. Individual voices are to become something shared.

I’m looking forward to sharing this programme in November with those who may be here or nearby: familiar Christmas carols, new musical encounters – and the question of how we can not only sing of light, peace and togetherness, but also experience them together.

Concert dates

‘Julens tid är här’ – Song of Joy with orchestra

21 and 22 November 2026 at Kulturbruket, Mellerud

Playlist for “Julens tid är här”

Here is a playlist in the order of the concert programme – with direct links to recordings and videos. These are interpretations by other artists, not the specific arrangements by Song of Joy.

Part One

Part Two

Encore