Our next Bach Vespers is on 28 July at 6.30pm at the church of St Mary at Hill in the City of London. This date is the anniversary of Bach’s death in 1750. We perform Bach’s powerful cantata BWV 168, Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort. Composed in 1725, this cantata, based on the concept of being accountable for one’s actions, contains a number of surprises. The operatic drama of the opening movement depicts the ‘Word of Thunder’ on Judgement Day, which rends the rocks and makes one’s blood run cold. Money metaphors are used throughout the work to describe spiritual debt, with rather worldly references to payment, business calculations, capital investment and interest in extraordinary detail – not something we would necessarily expect to find in a sacred work! All is explained by the fact that Salomo Franck, Bach’s librettist in this cantata, was director of the Weimar mint. After a splendid showpiece duet for soprano and alto over a repeated bass, the cantata ends with a serenely lyrical chorale. The service will also include music from the German Baroque for 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.