Here are two more musical Advent/Christmas resources.   The first is the 2014 service of Lessons and Carols from the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, in England.   For a real treat that will enrich the experience greatly you can read the program handed out that evening by clicking here.

The second resource is another John Eliot Gardiner performance of a masterpiece of J. S. Bach, the Christmas Oratorio.  This is a long piece–it is actually six cantatas put together to form the Oratorio.  It is well worth listening to in entirety, but you could spread it out over six days of Christmas as it was originally performed.  Below are links that give information and translations.

Click here for a good introduction to the Oratorio.  Click here for background details on Bach’s Christmas Oratorio Parts One through Six.  Below are very useful translations of each Part.  (Click on the English-3l.)

Part One: English-3I

Part Two: English-3I

Part Three: English-3I

Part Four: English-3I

Part Five: English-3I

Part Six: English-3I