LyrArc Article Gist
The sheer glory and joy of Bach cycle from St Thomas Choir in Leipzig at Christmas can now be heard in this audio and video of 1 hour 56 minutes from DW.com. 73,000 visitors will visit Leipzig for the Bach Festival in 2021. The theme of the cycle this year is salvation. Here is an opportunity to hear this monumentally creative event right in your own home. Other videos show the new Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg that has already brought 15 million visitors. It sits atop a former brick warehouse once used for storing cocoa- now 16,000 square meters of glass panelling built by a Swiss architecture firm. Recently 800 people were vaccinated here in Europe's classiest vaccination center.

LyrArc Article Gist
Sweden's king Gustaf says the coronavirus policy of voluntary action has failed. Sweden now has 350,000 cases and deaths at 7800. This is more than all other Nordic countries combined and one of the highest rates per 100,000 of the population. Most are elderly who never had time to say goodbye. The makes Sweden a target of worldwide criticism for neglecting older people who never got a chance to say goodbye and died in chaotic conditions. It puts into spotlight the values of Swedish society of self centredness. Sweden, Netherlands and some Northern European countries also opposed the large stimulus planned by Merkel and Macron for the EU. showing lack of sensitivity for the plight of poorer countries in Europe such as Greece Portugal, Spain and Eastern Europe that were already hit by the eurozone financial crisis. The king said 2020 "was a terrible year" for Sweden. Now that the second wave has hit Germany hard, Sweden has acted to close schools, limit gatherings for Christmas and is following the restrictions practiced in the rest of Europe. To get some sense of how hard the second wave is hitting countries Germany recorded  952 deaths a day December 16, close to one third of that in the U.S. on Dec 15. ...