Wachet Auf

The Capitol Hill Chorale opens its 33rd season with "Wachet Auf," a Baroque program built around two settings of the German Lutheran hymn "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" (Awake, the voice is calling us), which recalls the parable of the Ten Virgins from the Gospel of Matthew. The concert pairs complementary interpretations by Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach and Michael Praetorius with Johann Sebastian Bach's Magnificat, while the accompanying baroque orchestra performs Arcangelo Corelli's Christmas Concerto. Led by concertmaster Dr. John Moran, the full ensemble brings together choral voices and period-instrument textures for the holiday season.

When: Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 4:00 PM.
Showtimes: 7:30 PM on December 6; 4:00 PM on December 7.
Venue: Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212 East Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20003.
Tickets: Pay-what-you-can; reservations available at tickets.capitolhillchorale.org.
Performers: The Capitol Hill Chorale, joined by a full baroque orchestra led by concertmaster Dr. John Moran.
Program: J.C.F. Bach's and Michael Praetorius's settings of "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme," Johann Sebastian Bach's Magnificat, and Arcangelo Corelli's Christmas Concerto.
Note: The hymn text, which draws on the parable of the Ten Virgins, is mirrored in the two complementary settings heard on this program.