Taylor Festival Choir and Orchestra Presents Johan Sebastian Bach’s “Weihnachtsoratorium”

Press Release

The Taylor Music Group opens its 2022-2023 concert season with J.S. Bach’s monumental Christmas masterwork – Weihnachtsoratorium (Christmas Oratorio). Conducted by Founding Music Director Rob Taylor, the 24-voice Taylor Festival Choir (TFC) and orchestra, with members drawn from the Charleston Symphony and throughout the southeast, will perform the complete oratorio. Consisting of six cantatas, the Christmas Oratorio presents the familiar Christmas narrative in dramatic and beautiful fashion. The work, which has never before been presented in its complete format in the Charleston-area, will be performed in German, with English supertitles. The concert will be dedicated to the 25-year anniversary of the passing of Rob Taylor’s father Bob Taylor, the Taylor Festival Choir’s inspiration and namesake. 

Artistic Director Rob Taylor stated, “One could argue that among all of the great composers of all-time, the greatest of all is Johann Sebastian Bach. Certainly, along with Ralph Vaughan Williams J. S. Bach is my favorite composer. Add in that Christmas is my favorite season of the year, that this was my father’s favorite choral masterwork, and that I will be performing this work with the TFC and orchestra is truly a dream come true. It will be a labor of love for everyone involved.”

Vocal soloists for the performance will stem from the TFC roster, and include rising opera stars Grace Kahl, Nini Marchesi, Bates O’Neal, Eric Viñas, Marina Hogue Nuñez, Mary Ott, Amber Romero, Kiri Taylor, Emmalee Hinson, McKenzie Anderson, Joshua Overby and Dr. Christopher Mitchell. The role of the Evangelist will be performed by Maurice Burgess and Jonathan Pilkington.

Schedule:

• November 12th
  • 7 pm
  • St. Matthews Lutheran Church, Charleston
• November 13th
  • 4 pm
  • Bethany United Methodist Church, Summerville

Tickets are $35 for preferred seating and $25 for general seating. Students get in for free.

Tickets for the concert can be purchased at www.taylormusicgroup.org. For further information, please call 843-819-6961.

About the Taylor Festival Choir 

The Taylor Festival Choir (TFC) is a professional chamber choir based in Charleston, SC whose roster includes professional musicians from across the United States. Founded and conducted by Rob Taylor, TFC is named after and inspired by the life and careers of Rob’s parents Bob and Cornelia Taylor, noted choral educators in their home state of Arkansas. Since its inception in 2001, the TFC has toured and been heard in prestigious venues and festivals throughout the U.S. and has garnered a reputation of excellence among critics and choral specialists alike.

The TFC has recorded on the Delos, Centaur, and MSR Classics labels. Their most recent recording So Hallow’d the Time was considered for Grammy awards in multiple  categories. TFC serves as the professional choir-in-residence at the College of Charleston. The Taylor Festival Choir performs the finest choral literature from all eras, with particular emphasis on new music and folk music from the Celtic nations. Dedicated to bringing the beauty and spiritual enrichment of choral music to as wide an audience as possible, the Taylor Festival Choir tours frequently, and performs outreach concerts in schools and churches throughout South Carolina and surrounding states.

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