Birmingham Bach Choir return to Lichfield Cathedral on Saturday 24 November 2012 for a well-timed performance of JS Bach’s seasonal Christmas Oratorio.
Paul Spicer
First performed in the 1730s, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio has since become a firm festive favourite. Written in six sections, it tells the story of the birth of Jesus, complete with angels, shepherds, and the arrival of the gift-bearing Three Kings.
Performing the entire Oratorio, the Choir are joined by The Musical And Amicable Society Baroque Orchestra, conducted by Paul Spicer. Soloists are soprano Sofia Larsson, countertenor Leo Tomita, Evangelist Rupert Charlesworth, tenor Stuart Jackson and baritone Ed Ballard.
Paul, who is celebrating 20 years with the Choir, said: “Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is one of his greatest works, standing alongside the Passions, the B minor Mass and the Magnificat. Because the work is a huge undertaking it is rarely performed complete as it will be when we perform it in November. The combination of the work, the appropriateness for the season as we head for Christmas, the beauty of the surroundings in Lichfield Cathedral, and a choir on top of its form which has Bach’s music in its veins makes for an unmissable evening. Do come and join us!”
Tickets for the 7pm performance are priced from just £12 (£9 concessions), available from The Cathedral Bookshop (Tel: 01543 306150) or S&J Music, 23 Bird St, Lichfield (Tel: 01543 268909).
The Birmingham Bach Choir has been contributing to the musical life of the region since 1919, making it one of the oldest musical groups in the area. Although they perform music spanning over 300 years, their main focus is the music of JS Bach and the Baroque period.
The Choir has performed several times in the historic Lichfield Cathedral, most recently with Bach’s Mass In B Minor as part of Lichfield Festival in July, a performance which garnered 5-star reviews and was described by critics as ‘gripping’.
2012/2013 marks Birmingham Bach Choirs’ 94th season, with future performances including Carols By Candlelight (Dec 8, St Francis’ Church, Bournville, Birmingham), Nine Lessons And Carols (Dec 16, St Paul’s Church, Birmingham) and the annual Come And Sing Brahms’ Requiem (Feb 2, Selly Oak Methodist Church, Birmingham).
Saturday 24 November 2012, 7pm
Birmingham Bach Choir: JS Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
Conductor: Paul Spicer
Orchestra: The Musical And Amicable Society Baroque Orchestra
Soloists: Sofia Larsson, Leo Tomita, Rupert Charlesworth, Stuart Jackson, Ed Ballard.
Lichfield Cathedral, The Close, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 7LD
Tickets: £12, £18, £25 (concessions £9, £15, £22)
www.birmingham.bachchoir.com
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