Bach, Bells & Christmas — Concert by Cantoris and Festival Singers of Wellington

Celebrate the richness and wonder of Christmas with Cantoris and Festival Singers of Wellington, as they join forces for an evening of music that spans centuries, crosses continents and brings together joyful celebration and quiet reflection.

Conducted by Ingrid Schoenfeld, who directs both, the two choirs will be accompanied by well-known organists Jonathan Berkahn and Heather Easting. Together, they bring a wealth of musical experience to a programme filled with colour, contrast and seasonal spirit.

At the heart of the concert is Cantata V of J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, opening with the chorus Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen. This part of Bach’s great Christmas work follows the journey of the Magi, exploring their search for the newborn Jesus and the image of light shining through darkness. Its combination of exuberant choral writing, storytelling and reflection offers a vivid encounter with the Christmas narrative.

Felix Mendelssohn’s Die deutsche Liturgie brings another dimension to the evening. Its Kyrie, Gloria and Sanctus move from prayerful appeal to praise and adoration, revealing the composer’s gift for expressive melody and beautifully shaped choral textures. These three movements offer moments of warmth, grandeur and stillness.

Music from Aotearoa New Zealand has a special place in this concert. Jonathan Berkahn’s Four Christmas Songs brings together Unto us a Son is given, Meditation – rorate coeli desuper, And art thou come with us to dwell? and How sweet the angels song. The sequence invites listeners to consider Christmas through proclamation, contemplation and a sense of wonder. With Berkahn also appearing as one of the evening’s organists, the concert offers a particularly personal connection between the music and its composer.

Jenny McLeod’s Vulcan and Indigo II, from her Sun Festival Carols, add further New Zealand colour.

Philip Stopford’s Lully, Lulla, Lullay provides a tender, haunting contrast. Drawing on the Coventry Carol text, it captures both the intimacy of a lullaby and the poignancy beneath the Christmas story. John Gardner’s Tomorrow shall be my dancing day brings buoyant rhythm and infectious vitality, while Mykola Leontovich’s Carol of the Bells sparkles with its familiar repeating motif and gathering excitement.

From Bach’s joyful praise to the delicacy of a lullaby, this programme offers much to discover and enjoy.

St James’ Anglican Church in Lower Hutt provides a welcoming setting, with comfortable seating and a crisp acoustic in which to savour the combined voices and accompaniment.

Make time in the busy December season for an evening of shared listening, musical discovery and festive warmth. Join Festival Singers of Wellington, Cantoris, Ingrid Schoenfeld, Jonathan Berkahn and Heather Easting for Bach, Bells and Christmas: a celebration of the season through the expressive power of choral music.

[Children 18 years and under enter free when accompanied by a paying adult.]