Bach's Christmas Oratorio – a magnificent Christmas tradition
Few musical works evoke the Christmas spirit quite like Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. With jubilant trumpets, powerful choral movements, and some of the most beautiful arias in Baroque music, the audience is drawn into the Christmas story—told through music that has inspired and moved people for nearly 300 years.
The Christmas Oratorio was composed in 1734 and consists of six cantatas that follow the story of the birth of Jesus and the events surrounding it. This concert features the first three cantatas, in which the music alternates between celebration and joy, devotion, and contemplation.
Under the direction of Marit Tøndel Bodsberg, the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, the Kilden Vocal Ensemble, the Kristiansand Cathedral Choir, and the Cathedral’s Girls’ and Boys’ Choirs will come together with three outstanding soloists for an atmospheric pre-Christmas concert.
Experience one of the most beloved Christmas works in music history—a concert filled with festive spirit, musical splendor, and true Christmas joy.
Program
Johann Sebastian Bach: The Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 – Cantatas I, II, and III
