Die Nacht ist vorgedrungen

With his new Christmas album “Die Nacht ist vorgedrungen” (The Night Has Fallen), tenor Richard Resch invites listeners on a musical journey that goes far beyond the usual. Instead of familiar Christmas classics, listeners can expect carefully selected works from the early Baroque to the modern era, all of which have one thing in common: they place light, hope, and humanity at the center of a time that for many threatens to blur between kitsch and commercialism.

Resch, known for his musical depth of expression and stylistic versatility, has curated the repertoire for this album with great care—inspired by the profound symbolism of Christmas and its origins. “Christmas is full of small, wonderful unnecessary things—but also full of depth,” says the singer himself. “I wanted to record an album that takes this duality seriously.”

The focus is on the title song “Die Nacht ist vorgedrungen” (The Night Has Come) by Jochen Klepper, whose haunting lyrics – written in 1937 in the midst of the darkness of National Socialism – seem more relevant today than ever. Equally moving is the closing contribution: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's “Von guten Mächten” in a very personal interpretation, recorded in the quiet night of a sparsely lit church – a moment of great fragility and inner strength.

The program spans a musical arc from Baroque cantatas by Christoph Graupner and Wolfgang Carl Briegel, to arrangements of traditional songs such as “Maria durch ein Dornwald ging” (Mary Walked Through a Thorn Forest), to Byzantine tropes and French Christmas chansons. There is a special focus on lesser-known pieces and new compositions, such as those by Silvan Loher or the arrangement of the Arab-Christian song “Miladuka.”

Despite their diversity, the pieces on this album are united by a clear message: “Everything will be fine.” These words run like a thread through the works – they comfort, challenge, and provide support. In times of social uncertainty and personal challenges, the album reminds us of the original power of Christmas: the arrival of light in the midst of darkness.

Created in an intense working atmosphere in the fascinating acoustics of the Kaiser Friedrich Memorial Church in Berlin, the album retains an intimate, almost familiar character. Supported by a small, dedicated ensemble of musicians and singers, as well as a sensitive team of sound engineers, the result is a work that draws its impact and accessibility from a deep love of music and lived authenticity.

“For me, exciting recordings are not necessarily flawless, but full of life,” says Richard Resch. “This album is exactly that—a lively, deeply personal Advent and Christmas cycle.”