Grayshott Concerts closes the year with one of the greatest celebrations in all sacred music: Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, performed by the London Handel Players and Pegasus under the direction of Baroque specialist Adrian Butterfield. This is a new venture for Grayshott Concerts as it is combining forces with the prestigious Tilford Bach Festival to produce a joint event.

With its jubilant opening chorus, tender arias and radiant orchestral writing, this festive masterpiece captures the wonder and joy of the season. A perfect centrepiece for Christmas at Grayshott.

Under the leadership of Adrian Butterfield, one of Britain’s leading Baroque specialists and co-founder of the London Handel Festival, the London Handel Players and Pegasus bring this masterpiece to life with period instruments, stylistic authenticity and vivid expression. Their performances at the BBC Proms, Wigmore Hall and major European venues have earned praise for clarity, elegance and artistry.

Pegasus is a versatile and exciting London chamber choir known for its broad repertoire of sacred and secular music from the Renaissance to today. Notable accolades include winning prizes at the Florilège Vocal de Tours (2013) and Tolosa International Choral Competition (2007), and being a BBC Choir of the Year semi-finalist in 2005. The ensemble has appeared on BBC Radio, Classic FM, and Channel 4.

Joining the ensembles for Bach’s Christmas Oratorio will be four outstanding soloists.

James Hall, alto, an acclaimed countertenor renowned for his interpretations of Bach, Purcell and Handel; James Atkinson, baritone, an award-winning singer and former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist; Laura Newey, soprano, winner of the 2024 John Kerr Award for English Song and a former VOCES8 UK Scholar; and James Gilchrist, tenor, an internationally renowned concert and recital singer, particularly distinguished for his performances of Bach.

Written for the Christmas season in Leipzig in 1734, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 is a masterpiece of joy, drama, and festive celebration. This concert presents four of the six cantatas that make up this brilliant work:
Cantata 1 Jauchzet, frohlocket! Written for Christmas Day, opening with triumphant timpani and trumpets celebrating the Birth of Jesus.
Cantata 2 Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend. Depicting the Annunciation to the Shepherds, featuring pastoral woodwind textures and the serene Sinfonia.
Cantata 3 Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen. Celebrating the adoration of the shepherds at the manger with joyful, dancing rhythms.
Cantata 6 Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnaufen. Written for Epiphany, closing the story with energetic fugues and triumphant brass as the Wise Men arrive.

A festive, uplifting, and unforgettable celebration – the perfect musical centrepiece for Christmas at Grayshott.

Programme:
JS Bach Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 – Cantata 1 Jauchzet, frohlocket! – Cantata 2 Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend – Cantata 3 Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen – Cantata 6 Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnaufen

Performers:
Laura Newey soprano
James Hall countertenor
James Gilchrist tenor
James Atkinson baritone
Pegasus Choir
The London Handel Players
Adrian Butterfield director