Bach Oratorio With the S.F. Symphony Chorus

J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio is actually six separate cantatas that were designed to be performed in church on Christmas and the following feast-days (the annunciation to the shepherds, Dec. 26; the adoration of the shepherds, Dec. 27; Jesus' name day and circumcision, Jan. 1; the journey of the Magi (the Sunday after New Year's Day); and the feast of Epiphany). So it's rather long if you want to do the whole thing in a single evening.

Enter Ragnar Bohlin, the resourceful director of the excellent San Francisco Symphony Chorus. To kick off the Symphony's holiday fare, Bohlin has carefully cut down the works, keeping the focus on the central narrative to create an evening-length version that feels as if it were written for a single performance. “What would Bach have done, if he were asked to perform it in one day?” Bohlin asks. You can hear the results of Bohlin's inventive work this weekend.