One of Bach's most celebrated choral works is presented here with the original German text and a singable English version in an Urtext edition for soloists, choir and orchestra. For the composition of the Christmas Oratorio, Bach made use of the parody method, a commonly used compositional method for larger works that draws on material from previously composed pieces and adapts them to the new text. The Christmas Oratorio draws on his Congratulatory Cantatas (BWV 213 and 214). It is likely that Bach composed the music during the Advent season in 1734, as the first performances took place during the Christmas season 1734/35. However, it seems probable that many subsequent performances took place during Bach's lifetime since the original, partly autographic performance material discloses traces of frequent use.