Silent Night

The true story of the 1914 Christmas truce

Inspired by real events, Silent Night is a dramatic opera that tells the story of the 1914 Christmas truce, when peace spontaneously broke out in the trenches during World War I.

A gruelling battle is being fought between German, French and Scottish soldiers. Each has a cross to bear and a story to tell. On Christmas Eve, 1914, German opera singer Nikolaus Sprink, now a soldier, is ordered to perform behind the front line. Back at the front later that night, upon hearing Scottish soldiers singing, Sprink responds with a rousing song, and midway through a bagpiper begins to accompany him. Nikolaus raises a Christmas tree as a gesture of friendship and the soldiers move slowly, cautiously towards each other.

Feel the incredible power of 100 male operatic voices alongside the acclaimed Orchestra of Opera North against a projected backdrop of original footage. The cinematic Pulitzer Prize-winning score by American composer Kevin Puts, to words by Mark Campbell, is a deeply emotional experience. This UK premiere staged at Leeds Town Hall is part of a series of events in the city marking the centenary of the end of World War I.

#ONSilentNight | #Armistice100

Silent Night, based on the screenplay by Christian Carion for the motion picture Joyeux Noël produced by Nord-Ouest Production
Commissioned by Minnesota Opera|A Minnesota Opera New Works Initiative Production
Music by Kevin Puts|Libretto by Mark Campbell
By arrangement with Aperto Press, publisher|​Bill Holab Music: Sole Agent