Chorus and orchestra, trumpets and drums, it’s impossible not to be uplifted by Bach’s Christmas Oratorio – a joyful start to the festive season. Leading UK choir and baroque orchestra Armonico Consort go ‘Bach’ in time, playing on instruments that would have been familiar to its first audiences, when they perform the work at Malvern Theatres on 30 Nov 2022.
The Christmas Oratorio is a collection of six cantatas (from which Armonico Consort will play Parts 1,3,5 & 6), each telling a different part of the Christmas story, from the birth of Jesus to the arrival of the Wise Men.
Written in 1734-5, Bach combines some of his most virtuosic trumpet writing with flamboyant orchestral composition and intensely lyrical melody. He even finds room for the famous chorale which later appeared in his Matthew Passion.
Founder and Artistic Director of Armonico Consort, Christopher Monks describes the Christmas Oratorio as “Bach at his finest, most exuberant and most excitable, full of exquisite and beautiful melodies”.
Armonico Consort performs nationally and internationally and has been awarded a string of 4 and 5 star reviews in the national press for its concerts and recordings.
Armonico Consort performs Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at Malvern Theatres (Wed 30 November)
About Armonico Consort
Armonico Consort is a critically acclaimed choir, instrumental ensemble and music charity, founded in 2001 by Artistic Director Christopher Monks. For over 20 years, its professional musicians have been bringing choral music to life through innovative performances, entertaining presentation and 5-star recordings of music from the Renaissance and Baroque to the present day. Alongside, its long-established education programme AC Academy leaves a singing legacy in schools through its unique Choir Creation scheme. The programme now operates worldwide, from developing choirs and conductors in Mexico to the training of social entrepreneurs with the Harvard affiliated Global Leadership Programme. Armonico Consort also champions the well-being and mental health benefits of singing through initiatives in workplaces, care homes and for those living with dementia. In 2021, it created the Warwick Memory Singers – a choir for people living with dementia and their carers.
