‘A magical present’

It’s Joshua Habermann’s job to curate aural presentations for Santa Fe Desert Chorale.

Once again, Habermann, the group’s artistic director, has a present just in time for the holidays.

Santa Fe Desert Chorale is presenting its Winter Festival through Sunday, Dec. 21, but audiences at home can catch its 2024 presentation, “Carols & Lullabies: A Rose in Winter” on New Mexico PBS at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24, and 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 25. It will also be available to stream on the PBS app.

Airing the performance has become a tradition for New Mexico PBS.

“By airing on New Mexico PBS, the program gets to a wider audience,” Habermann said. “The Santa Fe Desert Chorale is a hidden gem in Santa Fe, and most people don’t get to experience it. With this collaboration with New Mexico PBS, we’re able to get the performance seen statewide. That’s how we continue to grow our reach more than 40 years later.”

The performance was filmed in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe. 

Habermann said the program reflects on the hope and wonder we experience this time of year.

The Santa Fe Desert Chorale was founded in 1982 by Lawrence “Larry” Bandfield and is one of the longest-running professional music organizations in New Mexico, as well as one of the most distinguished American professional chamber choirs.

Habermann has led the chorale since 2008 with its repertoire spanning seven centuries, from early polyphony to contemporary works.

The ensemble has traveled across the nation, performing in prominent conferences and cities such as Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Throughout its history, the Desert Chorale has maintained a commitment to giving voice to music from Hispanic and Native American communities, Habermann said.

Dedicated to advancing the composers of our time, the Desert Chorale has commissioned over 30 new works, and several additional pieces have been given their world or American premieres by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale.

“There are so many compositions to sort through,” he says. “We work to strike the right balance to make the flow to the performance feel seamless.”

Habermann says last year, film crews recorded during a few performances to get the edited version that audiences will see during the broadcast.

“It does take a lot of work behind the scenes,” he says. “What’s great about the Desert Chorale is that it is composed of some of the best performers. We have members that have been with us for decades.”

Habermann says putting together the show is like being a sculptor.

“As you begin to look for the figure, it all reveals itself,” he says. “Putting it together takes months of drafts. When it’s completed, it’s a magical present for the audience.”