"The Road to Christmas is my ideal Christmas; it's made up of music that is often simple, but presented with the greatest care, and texts that allow us to dive into the roots of the event Everyone can find the Christmas of their dreams, whether through music, poetry, spirituality or a happy mixture of the three." - Bernard Labadie (Founder of Les Violons du Roy and Musical Director of La Chapelle de Québec)

For Bernard Labadie, Le Chemin de Noël is the realisation of a great dream inspired by the tradition of the annual Christmas concerts at the Chapel of King's College in Cambridge, England.

Named after the beloved annual concerts that Labadie has conducted in Quebec since 2016, Le Chemin de Noël is the conductor's deeply personal reflection on the meaning of Christmas.

This musical, spiritual, and poetic itinerary unfolds through traditional Nativity hymns that Labadie has carefully selected over the years. The sacred and secular repertoire is sung by La Chapelle de Québec, with the participation of contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux, harpist Valérie Milot, and organist Richard Paré.

The programme also includes the canticle Mais où sont les neiges...?, a creation by François Dompierre on a text by Denys Arcand.

Contents:
1. Vom Himmel Hoch  Johann Pachelbel (solo organ)
2. Down in Yon Forest  harm. Ralph Vaughan Williams
3. Minuit, Chrétiens (Cantique de Noël)  Adolphe Adam
4. Mais où sont les neiges?  François Dompierre
5. Veni, veni Emmanuel  anon.
6. Venez, divin Messie  harm. Ernest Gagnon
7. Maria durch ein Dornwald ging  harm. Johannes Weyrauch
8. Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen  harm. Michael Praetorius
9. Angelus ad virginem  anon.
10. Gabriel’s Message  harm. Edgar Pettman
11. Hymne à la nuit  Jean-Philippe Rameau, harm. Joseph Noyon
12. Sainte nuit  harm. Raymond Daveluy
13. Je suis l’archange de Dieu  Louis-Claude Daquin, arr. Alain Langrée
14. Les anges dans nos campagnes  harm. Raymond Daveluy
15. Le sommeil de l’enfant Jésus  harm. Gaston Rochon
16. Cher enfant qui vient de naître  harm. Bernard Labadie
17. Gott ist mein Hirt  Franz Schubert
18. D’ou viens-tu, bergère?  harm. Alexander R Tilley
19. Çà, bergers  harm. Raymond Daveluy
20. Il est né le divin enfant  harm. Raymond Daveluy
21. Silence, ciel! Silence, terre!  harm. Bernard Labadie
22. Bel astre que j’adore  harm. Maurice Dela
23. La marche des rois  harm. Joseph Noyon
24. Die Könige  Peter Cornelius, arr. Hans Georg Pflüger
25. Lully, Lulla, Lullay  Philip WJ Stopford
26. Les âmes des justes  Elzéar Fortier
27. A New Year Carol  Benjamin Britten