Festive Cantatas Christmas Concert

Festive Cantatas: J.S. Bach Magnificat are joyful Christmas concerts presented by Early Music Vancouver at UBC and in West Vancouver in December.

The concerts are with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra plus a number of special guest singers. If you’ve ever been to the Vancouver Bach Festival in the summer, you’ll already be familiar with the orchestra and Early Music Vancouver (EMV) and know that you’ll be in for a real treat! (Note: In 2023 the Vancouver Bach Festival was renamed the Vancouver Summer Festival.)

To learn about EMV performances at other times of the year, see our article about Early Music Vancouver Concerts or visit the earlymusic.bc.ca website.

Bach Magnificat Concerts in Metro Vancouver

Early Music Vancouver celebrated its 53rd season of events in 2022/23. There were four different series of concerts to enjoy between September, 2022, and May, 2023, including a special Christmas-themed production in December.

Part of the Masterworks Series: BACH Before and Beyond, the Festive Cantatas: J.S. Bach Magnificat concert is a joyful performance that’s perfect for the holiday season. The Bach composition is a score to Magnificat, Virgin Mary’s song of praise at the beginning of her pregnancy. The piece was originally created for Christmas in 1725. Since that time the masterpiece has become a musical traditional for the holiday season. The uplifting production features the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, directed by Alexander Weimann.

Show Dates and Locations

In 2022 the Festive Cantatas: J.S. Bach Magnificat concerts happened on December 17th in West Vancouver and on December 18th at the Chan Centre at UBC. See below to learn more.

On the Saturday beginning at 7:30 pm, the show was at the Kay Meek Arts Centre in 2022. The venue’s address is 1700 Mathers Avenue in West Vancouver. On the Sunday the concert started at 3:00 pm. It took place at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia at 6265 Crescent Road in the City of Vancouver.

In 2023 the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, under the direction of Alexander Weimann, celebrated the Christmas holiday season playing at the First Church of Christ Scientist in Victoria, BC, on December 2nd at 3:00 pm.

Festive Cantatas Christmas Concert in Vancouver

Admission Prices

Tickets for the December 17th show in West Vancouver could be purchased online through the Kay Meek Arts Centre‘s website. General admission cost $75. Seniors ages 65 and above saved $3 and students with ID can got in for just $29 each.

TIP: With the West Vancouver performance, the Kay Meek Centre had a Black Friday sale which ran from November 25th until the day of the concert. Tickets with the Black Friday discount cost just $59 if ticket purchasers uses the promo code FESTIVE!

Admission to attend the Sunday concert at the Chan Centre ranged from about $36 up to $75. Tickets further away from the stage were the least expensive. With the Sunday tickets at the UBC venue, there were also special discounted seats that included the following:

Young Adult Tickets: patrons ages 35 and under got a 35% discount off full-priced tickets.
Student Rush Tickets: subject to availability (i.e. unless the concert sold out), single tickets were available at the door on the night of the concert for just $10 for students with valid student ID.)
Tickets for Indigenous Peoples: in the spirit of reconciliation and to honour the natural stewards of the lands, Early Music Vancouver offered free tickets to all Indigenous peoples. These tickets could only be obtained by calling the Box Office at 604-732-1610.
Bring a Youth for Free: children ages 17 and under could attend EMV concerts for free when accompanied by an adult who had a full-priced ticket.

About EMV

Early Music Vancouver (EMV) is a performing arts organization that has been putting together shows in Metro Vancouver for over 50 years. There are usually about 40 different EMV concerts and events to enjoy each year, many of which feature artists and composers from around the world.

EMV is also the organization behind the Vancouver Summer Festival which was formerly called the Vancouver Bach Festival and is an exceptional series of concerts that runs in the summer. Playing at many of Early Music Vancouver’s productions is the Pacific Baroque Orchestra which is really good.