Bach Christmas Oratorio begins festive musical season

Submitted by Stuart Beaudoin

On Sunday, Nov. 30, the Cantorei sine Nomine choir and Orpheus Symphonietta orchestra, under the direction of Stuart Beaudoin, along with soloists Leslie Higgins, Shannon Coates, Benjamin Done and Sebastien Belcourt, will sing a musical setting of the Christmas story. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio will fill St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Uxbridge, beginning at 7 p.m.

Beaudoin gives some insight into the project: in Christendom, Handel’s Messiah (1741) and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (1734) stand as the musical pillars of the Christmas season. Messiah is actually Easter music. The Christmas Oratorio is a series of six cantatas telling the story of the coming of Jesus and the 12 days of Christmas.

Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is not often performed in the English speaking world and always performed in German. In Europe, it would be the music of choice during the Christmas season. The St. Paul’s performance uses an English translation to make the music and story accessible to the listener.

This is the fourth time Cantorei sine Nomine has performed the Christmas Oratorio for Uxbridge.

Beaudoin says, “Bach is often thought of as heavy, detailed and difficult to listen to, but in this music he is dancing for the whole program. Choruses are always upbeat and exciting; orchestra colors tell the story in sound; the soloists give us the scripture in the recitatives and commentary in the fabulous solos. It is a Christmas musical experience not to be missed. Your ears will be full of earworms.”

Tickets are $40 and are available through starticketing.com