Show of the week: Silent Night
On Christmas Eve 1914, soldiers on Europe’s Western front laid down arms and joined their enemies in celebrating the holiday.
On Christmas Eve 1914, soldiers on Europe’s Western front laid down arms and joined their enemies in celebrating the holiday by trading songs and drink while dead comrades littered the surrounding fields. In this premiere broadcast of a Pulitzer-winning opera, composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell have resisted the temptation to sentimentalize the episode. Tenor William Burden plays the soldier whose impromptu singing inspired the truce. Still, don’t expect traditional carols from any of the players in this stirring work. Friday, Dec. 13, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Home Depots are the new epicenters of ICE raids
In the Spotlight The chain has not provided many comments on the ongoing raids
-
Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?
Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
-
The pros and cons of banning cellphones in classrooms
Pros and cons The devices could be major distractions