Cool Yule

A Nordic Holiday Celebration

featuring tributes to
Denmark’s Most Famous Author
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
(The Snow Queen, The Little Match Girl, The Little Mermaid)

and
Julemanden, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle
aka SANTA CLAUS

with
Traditional Yuletide Classics
from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland…and more!

with
The Mads Men
Colin Hogan – piano/accordion | Gary Brown – bass | Eric Garland – drums

Old and New World traditions meld in Cool Yule. The wonderful Christmas traditions of the Nordic countries—Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland—are steeped in mysticism with many of these traditions at home here in America. We invite you to experience the warmth and specialness of hygge, the Danish word for cozy that sets the tone for ushering in the holiday season. 

In the spirit of Yule, Mads shares the Christmas celebrations of his youth in Copenhagen, blending the authentic customs and sounds of the Nordic countries with the joy and spirit of American jazz.

Cool Yule includes a special nod to Denmark’s beloved fairy-tale author Hans Christian Andersen with a song from Frozen, inspired by his classic tale The Snow Queen. The program also explores the darker side of Nordic folklore with the eerie legend of Jólakötturinn, the mysterious giant Christmas Cat said to roam Iceland on Christmas Eve. On a lighter note, the program features a salute to Julemanden (the Danish Santa Claus), traditional Nordic Yuletide classics, and jazz interpretations of favorite American holiday songs, including Santa Baby, My Favorite Things, The Christmas Song and more.