The Christmas Oratorio is an oratorio by J. S. Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance in a church service on a feast day of the Christmas period. It was written for the Christmas season of 1734 and incorporates music from earlier compositions, including three secular cantatas written during 1733 and 1734. The date is confirmed in Bach’s autograph manuscript.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint and harmonic organisation. Bach's compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the B Minor Mass, two Passions, and over three hundred cantatas. His music is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty and intellectual depth. Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognised as a great composer until a revival of interest in and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. Bach was born in Eisenach into a great musical family. He was the eighth and youngest child to Maria and Johann, his father was the director of the town musicians; all of his uncles were professional musicians. After graduating he held several musical posts across Germany, serving as Kapellmeister to Leopold, where he held the title of "Royal Court Composer”. Religious music was at the centre of Bach's output for much of his life. The hundreds of sacred works he created are usually seen as manifesting not just his craft but also a truly devout relationship with God. Throughout his life as a musician, Johann Sebastian Bach composed cantatas for both secular and sacred use. His church cantatas are cantatas, which he composed for use in the Lutheran church, mainly intended for the occasions of the liturgical year. Cantada No 146 is a church cantata written in Leipzig in 1726 or 1728. Bach composed the work for the third Sunday after Easter known as Jubilate.
Jock McKenzie studied trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester where he was a joint recipient of the college’s concerto prize. From 1987 Jock based his musical career in Hampshire, working as a freelance trumpeter, conductor, composer, arranger and brass teacher. Jock is a former Professional Leader (Brass) for Hampshire Music Service and was the Director of the Hampshire County Youth Band from 2004 until 2020. It is the mix of all of these musical roles that has led to Jock establishing a reputation as a leading creator of brass music resources, particularly in the field of education and brass ensemble music. In 2020 Jock was awarded an “Honorary Fellowship of the University of Winchester” for services to music education. Currently Jock is working part-time for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; providing tuition for their Brass Teaching Module. In 2024 Jock was given the award for “Services to Youth” by Brass Bands England.
