Death of Classical is set to present its annual performances of David Lang’s “The Little Match Girl Passion.”

The production, which is set to include vocal ensemble Ekmeles, will be held on Dec. 15 and 17, 2026, in the Crypt beneath the Church of the Intercession.

Curated by Andrew Ousley, the program has become an annual holiday tradition for Death of Classical and is the only program the organization repeats every season.

Performances take place at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. each evening, with each preceded by an hourlong reception including food and drinks in the nave of the church.

Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music, Lang’s work is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s story of a young girl who tries unsuccessfully to sell matches on a freezing winter night. Drawing on the structure and texts of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Lang places the girl’s story within the Passion tradition, inviting listeners to consider both her suffering and the indifference of those around her. The work is scored for four singers, each of whom also plays percussion.

Ekmeles returns with soprano Amber Evans, mezzo-soprano Elisa Sutherland, tenor Tomás Cruz, and bass Steven Hrycelak, with conductor Jeffrey Gavett. The program also includes the Agnus Dei from William Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices.

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