Tafelmusik and the Ottawa Bach Choir will both be presenting Bach’s Christmas Oratorio for the holiday season. Tafelmusik will present the work on November 22 to 24, while it opens the season for the Ottawa Bach Choir on November 30.
“Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is the epitome of the nativity story, composed at the height of the Baroque period and told through a dramatically unified combination of thrilling large-scale choruses, poignant Biblical narrative, beautifully scored solo arias and richly harmonized chorales, all adorned in Bach’s brilliant musical style,” says Ottawa Bach Choir Founder and Artistic Director Lisette Canton in a statement.
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio or Weihnachtsoratorium BWV 248, was composed for the holiday season in 1734, during his time in Leipzig. The piece is written in six parts, six linked cantatas, and intended for a church service.
Bach recycled parts of earlier secular cantatas he’d written over the previous year, along with a church cantata that has largely been lost to time (designated BWV 248a). That makes it what is called a sacred parody, and the work was devalued by critics for decades for that reason.
Tafelmusik (November 22, 23 & 24)
Tafelmusik last presented Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in 2015, and they’ll bring their usual historically informed approach to the piece. Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, directed by Ivars Taurins will sing the Oratorio in German, accompanied by Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, with four guest soloists.
Guest artists
Hélène Brunet, soprano
Hélène Brunet’s repertoire spans centuries from the baroque era to the present. She won the 2022 JUNO Award for her first solo album on the ATMA Classique label, titled Solfeggio, recorded with the ensemble L‘Harmonie des saisons. With the win, she became first artist to ever win for a solo album in the category Large Ensembles at the JUNOs. A prize winner at the Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition at Carnegie Hall, today Hélène performs regularly across North America and Europe.
Cecilia Duarte, mezzo-soprano
Cecilia Duarte performs as a soloist in the Grammy-Winning album Duruflé: The Complete Choral Works with the Houston Chamber Choir (2020). She’s a native of Chihuahua, Mexico, and adept in diverse styles of music, including both early and contemporary music. She often performs with the Houston Grand Opera, among other companies.
Charles Daniels, tenor
The noted English tenor sings the role of the Evangelist. He is lauded for his interpretations of Baroque repertoire, including several acclaimed recordings. He is in demand as a concert performer, including appearances at the BBC Proms and De Nederlandse Bach Vereniging, among many others. His completion of Purcell’s Arise my Muse was broadcast on Radio-Canada for the Montréal Baroque Festival, and he’s a frequent Tafelmusik guest performer.
Jesse Blumberg, baritone
Jesse Blumberg has performed featured roles at several North American companies, including Minnesota Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Atlanta Opera, Boston Early Music Festival, Opera Atelier, and in Europe at Château de Versailles Spectacles and London’s Royal Festival Hall. He is equally in demand as a concert soloist, and has performed with ensembles across North America and Europe. He’s featured on nearly 30 recordings, including two Grammy-winning releases in 2015 and 2019.
- Find tickets and details about the Tafelmusik’s performances of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio [HERE].
Ottawa Bach Choir (November 30)
The JUNO award-winning Ottawa Bach Choir kicks off 2024/25 with Bach’s holiday masterpiece. They’ll be accompanied by the Theatre of Early Music baroque orchestra and guest soloists.
Guest Artists
Myriam Leblanc, soprano
Myriam Leblanc is just at home in the baroque as with bel canto singing. The award-winning soprano specializes in oratorios and concert appearances, including previous performances with les Violons du Roy and Tafelmusik. She is a graduate of the Atelier lyrique of Montreal Opera., and has several credits as a recording artist alongside her performing career.
Daniel Taylor, countertenor
The Canadian countertenor is an early music specialist, conductor and artistic director as well as performer. He directs the Trinity Choir, and the Theatre of Early Music, and is a profession of Opera, Voice and Early Music at the University of Toronto. He recently took over leadership of the Toronto Consort, an early music ensemble. Taylor was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 2021.
Charles Daniels, tenor
The busy tenor will be making his way from Toronto to Ottawa to perform the piece in both cities (see above).
Geoffrey Sirett, baritone
Along with his performing career, Geoffrey Sirett is the Artistic Director of Kingston’s Cantabile Choirs, and Co-producer and music director for the indie opera company Bicycle Opera Project. He won a Dora Award for Outstanding Opera Performance for the Tapestry Opera/Vancouver Opera co-production of The Overcoat in 2018. The prize-winning baritone regularly performs across Canada.
- Find tickets and more details about the Ottawa Bach Choir performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio on November 30 [HERE].
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