The Washington Bach Consort is set to present Bach’s Christmas Oratorio on Dec. 9, 2023.

The performance will be led by Artistic Director Dana Marsh at the Music Center at Strathmore.

The Consort will perform parts one, two, five, and six of the oratorio. Parts 1 – 3 explore the nativity and parts 4 – 6 the journey of the wise men.

In a statement Marsh said, “Christmas Oratorio is one of my all-time favorite works by Bach. It has special sentimental value for me, as it was my audition piece with the Bach Consort back in 2017.”

The Christmas Oratorio was the last of Bach’s major vocal-instrumental works to be rediscovered. It is known today as a prime example of parody music, however as 19th-century writers on Bach’s music encountered the piece, they found it difficult to align the music of his passions with the style they expected from him.