Jakub Jan Ryba’s Christmas Mass: an indelible part of the Czech Christmas experience

One of the staples of Czech Christmas, along with fried carp, Christmas cookies and fairy tales, is Jakub Jan Ryba’s Christmas Mass.

The mass composed by a small-town teacher in 1796 has become the most popular piece of Czech Christmas music ever written. It is performed in churches, concert halls and resounds in millions of Czech homes during the Christmas season. So on Christmas Day, we would like to share this musical experience with you and have selected a 1998 recording that has been hailed as the best recording of the Czech Christmas Mass ever made. It is with the famous Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená who back in 1998 was at the start of a promising career.

Česká mše vánoční /Jakub Jan Ryba/

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The mass consists of nine parts:

Kyrie– the first part of the mass, the Kyrie, describes a village scene where a young shepherd wakes up his master to tell him about a strange heavenly light and wondrous music coming from afar.

Gloria–the second part is a hymn to celebrate the birth of Christ; angel voices announce the birth of the Saviour.

Exhibition in Rožmitál pod Třemšínem dedicated to Jakub Jan Ryba|Photo: Barbora Němcová, Radio Prague International

Graduale– in the third part shepherds assemble the people to tell them the glad tidings.

Credo– Credo describes the preparations for the pilgrimage to Bethlehem.

Offertorium– tells of the gathering in the manger; people bring gifts to Baby Jesus.

Sanctus– is the shortest part of the composition, an angelic hymn.

Benedictus–this part, with a soprano in the lead role, is dedicated to the celebration of Jesus.

Agnus Dei– sings the praises of the Saviour and asks for the protection of all people.

Communio– the final part ends with monumental choral hymn celebrating the Holy Trinity.