The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment will perform all six parts of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio across two evenings at Queen Elizabeth Hall on London’s South Bank. Václav Luks conducts parts one to three on Saturday 5 December 2026, then returns for the remaining three on Sunday 6 December. Each concert starts at 7pm and is booked separately.
Bach wrote the work as six cantatas for different feast days in Leipzig. At the Southbank Centre, the first evening moves from Christmas Day to the shepherds’ part in the story. Tenor Guy Cutting sings the Evangelist, whose narration links the solo numbers and choruses. The programme also includes a Credo by the Czech composer Jan Dismas Zelenka.
What to know before booking
The first concert is sung in German with English surtitles and lasts about one hour and 50 minutes. A free pre-concert talk starts at 6pm in the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer. The venue recommends the concert for ages seven and over, and children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult on site.
At a glance
Where Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre
Saturday 5 December, 7pm Parts one to three, listed from £47.
Sunday 6 December, 7pm Parts four to six, listed from £22.
Mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston. Photograph by Matthew Johnson, courtesy of Southbank Centre.
