Filter by
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

Bach's Christmas Oratorio

Where
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000
Concert Hall
When

Saturday 13 December from 2pm to 4:05pm

Cost

Starting from: Premium $140 | A $114 | B $88 | C $60 | D $45 Concessions $126 | A $103 | B $79 | C $55 | D $41 Under 30 $30. A booking fee of $8.95 per transaction applies.

“And lo, the star, which they had seen in the East, went before them…”

Johann Sebastian Bach’s monumental ‘oratorio’ for the Christmas season is really a set of six cantatas – one for each of the first six days of Christmas. Performing them together in concert is the musical equivalent of binge-watching Bach – the best of guilty pleasures! In 2023, Brett Weymark conducted Parts 1–3 in what Limelight described as a triumphant ‘high-altitude assault on Bach’s magic mountain’.

In 2025, Elizabeth Scott concludes the series with Parts 4–6. In these cantatas, the narrative turns to the Magi – the wise men from the East who followed the star to the Christ child – and Bach gives them music that’s as brilliant and intoxicating as gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Sydney Philharmonia’s Chamber Singers and elite youth ensemble VOX will be joined by the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra, and two emerging composers will be invited to create reflective interludes to sit between the cantatas.

Contact event organiser

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

Advertisement

Other events at Sydney Opera House

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Some of Australia’s finest young theatremakers take on a potent Australian mystery.
Today 7.30pm to 8.55pm
Henry 5

Henry 5

Bell Shakespeare presents one of the most famous war plays of all time.
Today 7pm to 9.30pm
RBG: Of Many, One

RBG: Of Many, One

Performed by the incomparable Heather Mitchell, this sell-out portrait piece returns in 2025.
11 Apr 2025
Wayfinders: ordinary people changing the world

Wayfinders: ordinary people changing the world

In a world filled with uncertainty, how do we find hope? A panel discussion about personal wayfinding journeys
13 Apr 2025
Bach’s St Matthew Passion (Mendelssohn Version)

Bach’s St Matthew Passion (Mendelssohn Version)

Experience Bach’s masterwork, a rare performance of Mendelssohn’s 1841 version performed on Romantic period instruments
17 Apr 2025
Art Songs

Art Songs

Experience the elegance of art songs from around the world in one enchanting evening.
26 Apr 2025