Christmas Oratorio

Experience Johann Sebastian Bach's magnificent Christmas Oratorio! To the thunder of timpani and jubilant trumpets, it is proclaimed in the magnificent opening that Jesus is born.

It's easy to be misled by the title Christmas Oratorio, as if it were a single work intended to be performed at one occasion, Christmas Eve. That's far from the case. In fact, the Christmas Oratorio consists of six different parts, intended to be performed at as many occasions around Christmas. Today, as in this concert, it's customary to perform the first three parts, which were first performed together at a concert in Leipzig, in the days around Christmas 1735.

Delving into Bach's music is to venture into an unfathomable and fascinating musical universe. We constantly discover new things, and it never ends. Spend a few hours with Bach's Christmas Oratorio. It's a magnificent experience.

The Italian baroque specialist and conductor Luca Guglielmi leads the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Eric Ericson's Chamber Choir, and the four soloists. Eric Ericson's Chamber Choir, formed in 1945, ranks among the top international professional ensembles. Since 2003, the choir has had a close collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.