J.S Bachs Christmas Oratorio This piece was intended for performance in church during the Christmas season.

It was written in 1734 and incorporated music from some of Bachs earlier compositions. It was not performed again until 1857. It is an excellent example of parody music where Bach ahs incorporated his other works into one piece. The text for the music was most likely later written by Christian Friedrich. The piece was written towards the end of Bachs career along with the Ascension and Easter Oratorio. The Christmas Oratorio is the most complex of the three and the longest. It is composed of six parts, covering all the days of importance at Christmas including the Epiphany and New Year s Day. The piece is written for an orchestra composed of mainly woodwind, brass and string instruments. J.S Bach Born 1685 Died 1750 From Germany and composed for the baroque period. He was greatly respected and was born into a very musical family. He could play the organ, harpsichord, the violin and he also sang.