Soon it will be Christmas. What should you listen to? This is not a simple question. Historically, Christmas has been an immensely prolific time for composers, especially (and obviously) for those writing for the Christian church. But this trove of musical riches is astonishingly easy to lose sight of, even in so artistically sophisticated a place as Boston. It can seem as though holiday offerings are confined to endless renditions of the “Hallelujah” chorus and an all-too-small group of holiday favorites. How to break out of this rut? One strategy is to explore a Christmas distant in time and space from our …

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