BACH & CHARPENTIER – MUSIC FOR CHRISTMAS to Come to Sydney

Bach Akademie Australia will conclude its 2026 season with Bach & Charpentier – Music for Christmas, an uplifting program illuminating the musical traditions of Christmas in 17thcentury Europe. Directed by Artistic Director Madeleine Easton, these performances bring together an exceptional cast of soloists, the Choir of St James’, and the Bach Akademie Australia Orchestra across Glenbrook, Chatswood and Sydney from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November 2026.

Opening the program is MarcAntoine Charpentier’s Messe de minuit pour Noël (Midnight Mass for Christmas), a piece that encompasses the spirit of French Christmas. The work draws from carols traditionally sung over Christmas in French churches and homes, with Charpentier transforming these familiar melodies into a sophisticated, luminous mass setting, blending folk tradition with the elegance of French Baroque style. Its use of recognisable tunes made it one of the most beloved Christmas works of its time, and it remains a cornerstone of the French sacred repertoire.

Complementing Charpentier’s mass are two of Johann Sebastian Bach’s most loved and joyous Advent cantatas, written during his early years in Leipzig. Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 62 (Come now, Saviour of the heathen), based on Luther’s Advent chorale, and Wachet! betet! betet! wachet!, BWV 70 (Watch! Pray! Pray! Watch!).

Together, these works offer a striking contrast between French and German Baroque traditions, highlighting the joyous melodies, hope and expectations that only these composers can give.

Artistic Director Madeleine Easton said, “The Christmas season provides us with such a wealth of beautiful music to listen to and perform. We are taking full advantage of this by immersing ourselves in the worlds of both the French and German baroque with these three contrasting but unifying works that will well and truly invoke the Christmas spirit!”