Cello duo Uta Schlichtig and Birgit Heinemann present 17 tracks of old German Christmas songs arranged for their instruments.

Christmas in 2020 was very still, with Corona lockdown and a ban on singing.

After that sobering experience, we had the idea to arrange traditional Christmas carols for two cellos. We are always surprised to discover that the earliest ones move our emotions because of their purity, their sheer energy, and their touches of elevated spirituality. Sounding like the human voice, the cello's sonority creates a space for our individual emotions. It lets us encounter these time-honoured songs that are sung in the family or at church, often under difficult circumstances when humanity is under threat. Vincent Themba's congenial, well-suited, inspiring accompaniments on guitar, djembe, and double bass support and enrich our arrangements.

While we were preparing this CD, we realized that we were actually prolonging the legacy and work of our two respective fathers, Joseph Alfred Schlichtig and Hans Heinemann. When we were young, it was they who made it possible for us all to play Christmas music at church and in our families at home. We remember them with utter gratitude.

Tracklisting:
1. Macht hoch die Tür
2. Es kommt ein Schiff geladen
3. Als ich bei meinen Schafen wacht'
4. Maria durch ein' Dornwald ging
5. Frondens
6. Vom Himmel hoch
7. Stille Nacht
8. Go Tell it
9. Es wird scho glei dumpa
10. Ein Kind geborn
11. Ich steh' an deiner Krippen
12. Zu Bethlehem geboren
13. Kommet ihr Hirten
14. El Cant dells ocell
15. Tochter Zion
16. Cantique de Noël
17. Marche des Rois