Bach Christmas Oratorio - All Six Cantatas

Name: Bach Christmas Oratorio - All Six Cantatas
Start: 2026-12-19T14:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-12-19T17:00:00+01:00
Location: Helligaandskirken

Sat, 19 Dec 2026 · 14:00 — 17:00

Helligaandskirken, Copenhagen · 150–400 kr. · ≈ 20–54 €

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Bach Christmas Oratorio - All Six Cantatas · Helligaandskirken, Copenhagen

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Copenhagen Cantata Choir performs all six cantatas from Bach's Christmas Oratorio on Saturday, 19 December 2026 at 14:00 in Helligaandskirken on Strøget. This is a rare opportunity to hear the complete work - a cycle Bach composed for the Christmas season of 1734-1735 while serving as cantor in Leipzig. Helligaandskirken, one of Copenhagen's oldest churches, features Gothic and Baroque elements and provides an intimate setting for the performance. The choir is undertaking five Danish concerts with the Christmas Oratorio, including dates in Dragør, Bagsværd and Gladsaxe. Tickets cost 150-400 kr.

Københavns Kantatekor — also plays in other cities (4)

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About: Københavns Kantatekor

One of Copenhagen's busiest amateur choirs, performing major oratorio works with orchestra and professional soloists since 1984, and staging an opera gala every January as a New Year tradition under conductor Torben H.S. Svendsen.

1984

founded

55-60

singers in the choir

15-20

concerts per year

22×

held New Year's concert/opera gala

What's new

dec 2025
The choir performed Bach's Christmas Oratorio at several concerts in December 2025, including at Holmens Church, Store Magleby Church and Bagsværd Church, where the concert was sold out.
jan 2026
In January 2026, the choir held its traditional New Year's concert for the 22nd time in the form of an opera gala.
2026
The soloists at the 2026 New Year's concerts were soprano Signe Sneh Durholm and baritone Jens Søndergaard.

Tour

KøbenhavnStore MaglebyBagsværdValbyFrederiksberg

Tracks

Händel: Messiasone of the choir's permanent major works with orchestra

Bach: Juleoratorietperformed traditionally in December, including in 2025

Bach: Matthæuspassion / Johannespassionpart of the choir's core repertoire

Verdi: Requiemone of the choir's most frequently performed major works

Nytårskoncert / operagallaannual tradition in January with professional opera soloists

About: Torben H.S. Svendsen

The conductor behind two of the region's larger amateur choirs, Københavns Kantatekor and Birkerødkoret, known for staging heavyweight choral works such as the Verdi and Mozart requiems and Bach's Christmas Oratorio. Torben H.S. Svendsen has led both ensembles for decades and continues to assemble full choir-and-orchestra performances in churches around Copenhagen.

years as conductor of Københavns Kantatekor (since 1998)

years as conductor of Birkerødkoret (since 1996)

10-12

concerts per year with Københavns Kantatekor

singers in Københavns Kantatekor

What's new

nov 2026
Birkerødkoret and Con Brio-koret perform together with Kammerorkestret Musica Dvořák's Stabat Mater under Svendsen's direction at concerts on November 22 and 26, 2026.
apr 2026
Birkerødkoret's spring concert 2026 presents choral works for choir and piano by, among others, Morten Lauridsen, Eric Whitacre, Niels W. Gade and Peter Heise, with Torben H.S. Svendsen as conductor.
nov 2025
Birkerødkoret performed Mozart's Requiem with soloists and orchestra at three concerts in November 2025 in Copenhagen, Birkerød and Hellerup.

Tour

BirkerødKøbenhavnHellerupNærumStore MaglebyBagsværdValby

Tracks

Verdi: Requiempermanent part of the repertoire, recorded with Kantatekoret in 2006

Mozart: Requiemmost recently performed with Birkerødkoret in November 2025

Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiemreviewed with four out of six stars in Kristeligt Dagblad

Dvořák: Stabat Materperformed with Birkerødkoret and Con Brio-koret in November 2026

Bach: Juleoratoriumpermanent Christmas tradition at Københavns Kantatekor

About: Bach Christmas Oratorio

Six cantatas written for the Leipzig Christmas season of 1734-35 make up Bach's Christmas Oratorio - a work that moves between jubilant opening choruses with trumpets and drums, intimate arias and biblical recitatives. Much of the music was drawn from Bach's own secular cantatas, here woven into a single narrative arc from the Nativity to the arrival of the Magi.

1950

Year of first commercial recording

Bets distributed across six cantatas

~2h 7m

Average playing time (full performance)

What's new

2026-12
Copenhagen Phil performs the Christmas Oratorio in Copenhagen Cathedral on December 12, 2026 under the direction of English baroque specialist Laurence Cummings with the Copenhagen Boys' Choir.
2025-12
Holmen's Church in Copenhagen hosted two separate performances of the Christmas Oratorio in December 2025 - with Copenhagen Bach Choir on December 9 and Copenhagen Cantata Choir on December 17.
2025-12
Aarhus Bach Society and Vocal Ensemble Concert Clemens performed Christmas Oratorio parts I-III in Vor Frue Church in Aarhus on December 7, 2025.

Tour

KøbenhavnAarhusSilkeborgRandersHellerup

Tracks

Jauchzet, frohlocket (del I, åbningskor)Festive opening chorus with trumpets and timpani - the most famous number from the work

Schlafe, mein Liebster (del II, vuggevise)Alto solo, shepherds' lullaby to the Christ child - reworked from a secular cantata

Herrscher des Himmels (del III, åbnings- og slutkor)Jubilant chorus that opens and closes the third cantata

Großer Herr, o starker König (del I, bassolo)Powerful bass solo with trumpet - one of the most striking numbers in the first cantata

Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben (del IV, åbningskor)The New Year cantata opens with this chorus, characterized by horns and a more contemplative mood

Bach Christmas Oratorio - All Six Cantatas

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