“I’ve been drawn to this connection between music and the cosmos ever since I was a child,” says Christopher Jackson, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem.

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem presents “Heavenly Christmas,” 4 p.m. Dec. 7, First Presbyterian Church, Allentown; 4 p.m. Dec. 8, First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem.

“Humankind has always looked to the heavens as a source of inspiration. It’s how we navigated, kept time, watched the seasons change and so it’s no surprise that it has made its way into our musical psyche,” Jackson says.

The concert opens with Johann Sebastian Bach’s chorale, “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” (“How Brightly Shines the Morning Star”), BWV 1, with text and melody by poet, composer and German Lutheran minister Phillipp Nicolai (1556-1608).

Composed in 1725, the work comprises six movements featuring soprano, tenor and bass voices accompanied by choir and orchestra, including oboe da caccia or “hunting oboe,” a curved oboe ending with a brass bell used primarily during the Baroque period.

After intermission, the Bach Choir performs “The Consolation of Apollo,” an inspiring contemporary work by American composer Kile Smith (b. 1956).

Says Jackson, “This piece was originally commissioned by the professional a cappella chamber choir, The Crossing, and Kile is reworking the piece specifically for the Bach Choir.”

The work includes portions of the actual 1968 Christmas Eve broadcast by the crew of Apollo 8 when they became the first astronauts to leave Earth’s orbit, circle the moon and photograph the entire Earth.

The piece also includes writings from “The Consolation of Philosophy” by Boethius (480-524 A.D.), a philosopher and translator of Aristotle’s works, and who spent his life considering good and evil and humanity’s place in creation.

“The audience will hear the soloists use echoing, sparse lines over sustained notes, ostensibly to mimic the early radio technology for communications between the astronauts and ground base in addition to actual communications between the astronauts and Houston during some really tense moments,” explains Jackson.

The music will be accompanied by projected images from the Apollo 8 moon mission and the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes.

In celebration of the inscription of the Moravian Church Settlement to the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Bach Choir will debut a Moravian hymn text composed by Kile Smith as part of the choir’s Carol Commission Project.

The concert closes with the audience and Bel Canto Youth Chorus joining the choir in the traditional singing of Christmas carols.

“It’s really a heartwarming experience to be joined by young people who enjoy the art of singing,” says Jackson, adding, “There really is something for everyone at this concert.”

Guest soloists include sopranos Nola Richardson and Katelyn Grace Jackson, mezzo-sopranos Janna Critz and Kate Maroney, tenors Lawrence Jones and Nathan Hodgson, baritone Steven Eddy and bass Daniel Schwartz.

Australian-American soprano Nola Richardson has been particularly noted for her performances of Bach, Handel and Mozart. She won First Prize in all three major American competitions focused on the music of J.S. Bach.

Recent seasons have featured her debuts with the Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony and major Baroque orchestras such as the Boston Early Music Festival, American Bach Soloists and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra.

Richardson is the first and only soprano to receive the prestigious D.M.A. in Early Music Voice from Yale University, New Haven, Conn.

Soprano Katelyn Grace Jackson dreamt of becoming a novelist and poet. Her early exposure to music, ranging from the art music canon to John Philip Sousa Americana and a knack for choral singing, led to a professional career as soloist and chamber musician.

She has soloed with the American Bach Soloists, Washington Bach Consort, Handel Choir of Baltimore, The Thirteen, and Clarion Music Society.

Janna Critz, mezzo-soprano, is a passionate artist in the early music community. Following postgraduate studies at The Peabody Conservatory of Music, Baltimore, Md., Critz appeared across the United States and internationally in the opera and oratorio world. She regularly performs with the American Baroque Opera Company and Mountainside Baroque.

Mezzo-soprano Kate Maroney is a versatile consort soloist and consort singer in repertoire from Bach to the 21st century. She has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Ballet Opera. Maroney has a D.M.A. from Eastman School of Music, Rochester, N.Y., and degrees from Purchase College-SUNY, Purchase, N.Y., and Yale University.

Lawrence Jones, tenor, has established an active presence on the concert and operatic stages. As soloist he has performed with the Utah Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Musica Sacra, and Voices of Ascension. He accompanied the Bach Choir of Bethlehem for its 2024 European Tour performances, including a featured concert of cantatas in Thomaskirche at Bachfest Leipzig.

Nathan Hodgson is a New York-based tenor specializing in early music, chamber music and choral singing. A native of Dallas-Fort Worth, Tex., he received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of North Texas, Denton, Tex., and was immediately drawn to Renaissance and Baroque music. Hodgson has performed with the Orpheus Chamber Singers, Dallas Bach Society and Denton Bach Society.

Baritone Steven Eddy is an accomplished concert artist and Baroque music specialist who has performed with The New York Philharmonic, The Oratorio Society of New York, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, The Thirteen, and Clarion Music Society.

Daniel Schwartz, bass, is a Philadelphia, native and received bachelor’s and master’s in music from Temple University. After graduation, he became Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Voice of Pride, Philadelphia’s LGBT mixed-voice chorus. He sang with the Opera Philadelphia chorus and sings with The Crossing, including on three Grammy-winning albums. He teaches voice at Haverford College, Haverford.

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, “Heavenly Christmas,” 4 p.m. Dec. 7, First Presbyterian Church, 3231 W. Tilghman St., Allentown; 4 p.m. Dec. 8, First Presbyterian Church, 2344 Center St., Bethlehem; livestream and ticket information: Bach Choir office, 440 Heckewelder Place, Bethlehem; office@bach.org; 610-866-4382 ext. 110 or 115; https://bach.org/tickets/

“Classical View” is a column about classical music concerts, conductors and performers. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com