The Sound of Christmas: An Evening with the Three Tenors

Let me set the scene: it’s Christmas day and you’re cozied up by the fireside after your dinner… What better way to end the day than with the magnificent voices of Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, and Placido Domingo in what has become one of my favorite holiday concerts: Christmas with the Three Tenors!

This charming festive program from 1999 features traditional Christmas carols such as “Adeste Fideles,” classical favorites like Brahms’s Wiegenlied, and popular holiday songs including John Lennon and Yoko Ono”s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” and José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad.”

I remember first hearing Pavarotti as a child, when my mother — a big Pavarotti fan — would put his concerts on the television for my family and we’d not say a word as we watched, hanging onto every note sung by the mythical tenor. As a child, I would have absolutely loved this Three Tenors program.

There are many factors that make this concert unique and unforgettable. First, it features not only the Luciano Pavarotti, but also the world-class tenors José Carreras and Plácido Domingo. The legendary three gave several concerts as a trio, notably at Rome’s Thermes de Caracalla in 1990, and LA’s Dodger Stadium in 1994. Second, the concert is imbued with festivity; from the twinkly garlands and Christmas trees to the intimate, blue-toned lighting reminiscent of TV Christmas films, the magic of Christmas fills every corner of the Wiener Konzerthaus.

Hearing treasures like “O Tannenbaum” and “Feliz Navidad” takes me straight back to afternoons at my grandmother’s house, decorating the Christmas tree while we waited for the Christmas biscuits to bake — what a sweet trip down memory lane!

The program concludes with John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” — that I only recently discovered thanks to an online trend! — and what a finale! This touching song reminds us of the importance of showing patience and compassion to each other and to ourselves, especially around the holidays. The Three Tenors imbue it with their unparalleled magnetism, alternating lines before finishing in unison with a grandiose final flourish.

Not only do we hear The Three Tenors in all their glory in this program, we also get to hear the fantastic Wiener Symphoniker directed by Steven Mercurio at none other than the magnificent Wiener Konzerthaus! And if that wasn’t enough, the Gumpoldskirchner Spatzen Children’s Choir adds a delightful warmth to each piece, like a cozy blanket you might snuggle in as a child on Christmas Eve.

This concert has now become one of my Christmas essentials — it puts me in the holiday spirit and is the focal point of many special moments with loved ones. For me, Christmas with The Three Tenors is the equivalent of a hot mug of mulled wine: there’s no getting through winter without it!