Johannesburg Bach Choir Festive Season Concert

With a theme of "peace and goodwill", the Johannesburg Bach Choir's final concert of 2025 will feature several songs related to these qualities so urgently needed in today's world. Peace child, by New Zealand composer, Bernadette Farrell, perfectly expresses the theme in today's conflicts, while a charming arrangement of The Cat and the Mouse Carol by Ted Hutchinson illustrates the need for these traditional adversaries to be at peace with another in the presence of the Christ-child.

Members of the audience at St Martin's-in-the-veld, Rosebank, will get a chance to stretch their legs and voices when they join us to sing three popular Christmas carols. If you enjoy singing with an expected capacity audience to the accompaniment of the magnificent organ of St Martin's, don't miss out on this one. The accomplished organist, Pharny Chrysler-Fox will be at the console for both the audience and choir singing.

Sub-titled "A South African festive season concert", the performance will feature one of Johann Sebastian Bach's most popular pieces, the opening chorus of his Christmas Oratorio. This will be accompanied by several of the Christmas pieces from GF Handel's popular Messiah, including the popular choruses of And the glory of the Lord and Glory to God. Audiences will also hear our acclaimed tenor soloist, Janré van Jaarsveld, singing Comfort ye and Every valley.

Come, colours rise is a South African Christmas song that speaks of celebrating the festive season "under African skies", while Sizalelwe Indodana is a Zulu song translated into English as "Unto us a Child is born; his name is Jesus. Only He is the Saviour".

Complimentary refreshments will be served after the concert.