Music Worcester's THE COMPLETE BACH Continues With THE CHRISTMAS ORATORIO

THE COMPLETE BACH, Music Worcester’s 11-year project to present live performances of all known works by J. S. Bach will continue on January 24 as The Worcester Chorus and The Winchendon Players perform three cantatas from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio plus an additional solo sacred cantata at Mechanics Hall. 

Although titled an oratorio, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is actually a set of six cantatas historically performed at various points throughout the Advent and Christmas season. Each cantata focuses on a different part of the Nativity story. The soloists for this performance are Louis Fauteaux (soprano), Megan Roth (mezzo-soprano), Charles Blandy (tenor), and Kevin Deas (bass-baritone). Chris Shepard, Artistic Director of THE COMPLETE BACH and of The Worcester Chorus, conducts.

“One of the glories of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is its cast of characters,” said Shepard. “He captures beautifully the thrill of the angels, the joy of the shepherds, and the wandering of the Magi. This is one of Bach’s most festive pieces, and a wonderful way to cap the entire holiday season.”

In addition to the Oratorio, the event will also include one of the most performed and recorded of Bach’s sacred solo cantatas, Ich habe genug, featuring bass Kevin Deas.

Soprano Louise Fauteaux enjoys a diverse career devoted to both performance and education. Her versatility has led to appearances with many leading ensembles, including CONCORA, New Haven Chorale, Farmington Valley Chorale, and Con Brio Choral Society. She also serves as resident artist for the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford.

Praised for her “rich character portrayals” and “versatile voice,” mezzo-soprano Megan Roth performs widely in opera, oratorio, art song, and chamber music, with repertoire spanning early to contemporary works. She is the founder and artistic director of Calliope’s Call, a New England–based professional art song ensemble that programs the works of time-honored and present-day composers alike.

Tenor Charles Blandy made his Boston Symphony Orchestra/Carnegie Hall debut in 2024 in Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. A core member of Emmanuel Music, he is a regular presence in their renowned Bach Cantata Series and has appeared with the ensemble at BachFest Leipzig. His roles have included the Evangelist in Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions, as well as leading roles in operas by Stravinsky, Mozart, and Handel.

Internationally acclaimed bass-baritone Kevin Deas is celebrated for his signature portrayal of Porgy in Porgy and Bess, performed with major orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. His additional credits include appearances with Boston Early Music Festival, Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, Music of the Baroque (Chicago), and Charlotte Symphony, as well as performances at Ravinia, Vail, and Saratoga. 

The Winchendon Players are members of the Winchendon Music Festival, founded by Andrew Arceci. The festival features International Artists from genres including classical, folk, jazz, historical performance, and world music. Andrew Arceci is a composer, arranger, scholar, and double bassist who has performed throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Currently, he directs the Collegium Musicum at Wellesley College, as well as the Winchendon Music Festival. The Festival is a member of the Worcester Bach Collective, a group of music organizations from Worcester and beyond that will regularly collaborate with Music Worcester over the next decade as part of THE COMPLETE BACH.

The Worcester Chorus of Music Worcester, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest continuously performing choral ensembles in the United States. Its 100 members—both amateur and professional—hail from Worcester County, northern Connecticut, and the Boston area. The Chorus’s repertoire spans choral masterpieces, contemporary works, American folk arrangements, musical theater selections, and commissioned pieces. Beginning in the 2024–2025 season and continuing through March 21, 2035, The Worcester Chorus plays a central role in THE COMPLETE BACH project and continues to make guest appearances throughout the Northeast and abroad.

Chris Shepard is a renowned choral conductor, voice coach, pianist, organist, arts ambassador, and Bach scholar.  He is Artistic Director of THE COMPLETE BACH and is now in his sixteenth year as Music Director of The Worcester Chorus. He also serves as Music Director of Con Brio Choral Society and Artistic Director of Connecticut Choral Artists (CONCORA). Shepard holds degrees from the Hartt School, Yale School of Music, and the University of Sydney; his award-winning doctoral dissertation explored the performance history of Bach’s Mass in B Minor.

Music Worcester has been bringing world-renowned musicians and ensembles to Central Massachusetts since its founding in 1858. Today, the organization regularly presents celebrated orchestras, soloists, and ensembles from the worlds of classical, jazz, folk, global music, and dance to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Music Worcester’s education and outreach initiatives include in-school workshops and masterclasses, and the availability of free and reduced-price tickets.  In 2026-2027 noted educator and choral director Dr. Everett McCorvey becomes Music Worcester’s third Artist-in-Residence, following  pianist Simone Dinnerstein, and violinist Vijay Gupta in this bi-annual program that establishes deep relationships between the Worcester community and a visiting artist.