29 June marks the date of our next Bach Vespers performance. It takes place at 6.30pm at St Mary at Hill in the City of London, hosted by St Anne’s Lutheran Church. We’ll be performing Bach’s little-known cantata BWV 7, Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, which was written in 1724 to celebrate the feast of St John the Baptist (depicted here by Titian, 1540). With the opening reference to the River Jordan, Bach makes the most of the opportunity for word painting, with swelling waves clearly represented in the first movement and a watery theme pervading the whole cantata. The extensive and elaborate opening chorale fantasia is based on a the tune of a hymn by Martin Luther which references Christ’s baptism. This first movement is a tour de force in Italianate concertato style, featuring a virtuosic violin part. Later the tenor soloist is put through his paces in an athletic aria, matched by two violins which dip and dive around the melody. In addition to the cantata, the service will include other music by Bach’s contemporaries performed by our specialist team of voices and period instruments.

Everyone is welcome, so do come along and bring a friend. You don’t need to be religious, you can just come to enjoy the music. Entrance is free (with a voluntary collection). We look forward to seeing you and sharing Bach’s wonderful music.

Following Bach Vespers: 27 July (BWV 45).

Our next Bach Vespers is on 25 May at 6.30pm. It takes place at St Mary at Hill in the City of London, hosted by St Anne’s Lutheran Church. City Bach Collective presents Bach’s moving but rarely performed cantata BWV 87, Bisher habt ihr nichts gebeten in meinem Namen. First performed in 1725, this cantata is set to a text by a female librettist, Christiana Mariana von Ziegler, exploring how faith turns anguish to joy ‘über Honig süße’ (‘sweeter than honey’). The opening is dark, focusing on human guilt and fear, but the mood is transformed in the tenor aria, a soothing pastoral siciliano, reminiscent of the opening of Part 2 of the Christmas Oratorio. A central highlight of the cantata is the alto aria accompanied by two oboe da caccias (instrument pictured). With its highly chromatic harmonies and special caccia sound, this extraordinary movement has been likened to the dramatic ‘Ach Golgotha’ from Bach’s St Matthew Passion. The service will also include other music from the German Baroque performed by our specialist team of voices and period instruments.

Everyone is welcome, so do come along and bring a friend. You don’t need to be religious, you can just come to enjoy the music. Entrance is free (with a voluntary collection). We look forward to seeing you and sharing Bach’s wonderful music.

Following Bach Vespers: 29 June (BWV 7)

Come and join us for our next Bach Vespers on 27 April at 6.30pm! It takes place at St Mary at Hill in the City of London, hosted by St Anne’s Lutheran Church. We’ll be performing Bach’s exhuberant cantata BWV 134, Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiß, which was written for Easter. Bursting with joyful energy, this month’s cantata contrasts strikingly with the poignant introversion of Buxtehude’s Lenten music in March. Although premiered in 1724, Bach adapted BWV 134 from an earlier cantata dating from his time in Weimar, a secular piece celebrating the new year, and its glorious melodies and notably rich instrumental writing are typical of his Weimar compositions. It is unusual in that it opens with a recitative, closes with the type of chorus that we normally think of as an opening movement, and contains no chorale. The service will also include other music from the German Baroque performed by our specialist team of voices and period instruments.

Everyone is welcome, so do come along and bring a friend. You don’t need to be religious, you can just come to enjoy the music. Entrance is free (with a voluntary collection). We look forward to seeing you and sharing Bach’s wonderful music.

Following Bach Vespers: 25 May (BWV 87)

Our next Vespers service will be on 30 March at 6.30pm. It takes place at St Mary at Hill in the City of London, hosted by St Anne’s Lutheran Church. Very little Lenten music by Bach survives, so this service features powerful music by Bach’s mentor, Dieterich Buxtehude (c. 1637-1707, pictured), including the cantata ‘Ad Cor’ from his cycle Membra Jesu Nostri, BuxWV 75, and the moving ‘Klaglied’ from BuxWV 76, accompanied by viols. The service will also include music by Schütz and Eccard. 

Come and hear Buxtehude’s music, which fascinated Bach and contributed so much to his style. Everyone is welcome. You don’t need to be religious, you can just come to enjoy the music. Entrance is free (with a voluntary collection). We look forward to seeing you and sharing this beautiful music.

Join us for our next Bach Vespers on 23 February at 6.30pm! It takes place at St Mary at Hill in the City of London, hosted by St Anne’s Lutheran Church. We’ll be performing Bach’s magnificent cantata BWV 92, Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn, which Bach premiered in 1725. This effusive and highly evocative piece centres on the theme of trust and acceptance in adversity in order to reach Heaven. It opens with a majestic chorale fantasia and contains no less than 2 dramatic storm arias, full of furious energy. The first, for tenor, graphically depicts God’s apocalyptic raging against Satan. In the other, the bass sings of how rushing winds produce stronger crops, a metaphor for adversity in life. The following soprano aria forms a sublime contrast. With its gentle pastoral melody over pizzicato strings, it describes God as a shepherd, protecting his flock. The service will include other music from the German Baroque performed by our specialist team of voices and period instruments.

Everyone is welcome, so do come along and bring a friend. You don’t need to be religious, you can just come to enjoy the music. Entrance is free (with a voluntary collection). We look forward to seeing you and sharing Bach’s wonderful music.

Date for your diary: 30 March, Lenten Vespers featuring music by Buxtehude.