We are very pleased to be offering the music for the first St. Anne’s Lutheran Church Bach Vespers of 2016. St. Anne’s Lutheran Church is resident at St. Mary-at-hill, an idiosyncratic, portmanteau building of various architectural input, most notably the clean, lofty interior of Sir Christopher Wren. It is a very popular venue for musicians, with a wonderful William Hill organ (1848), space and seating for over two hundred and modern facilities.

It also is a lovely, open acoustic and, importantly an appropriate place for the Lutheran congregation of St. Anne’s Church to use for worship. Most important to the musical-liturgical association of the Lutheran tradition is the music of J.S. Bach. We are looking forward to continuing a tradition started in this same church in 1982 of performing Bach’s music within the liturgy.

On this occasion, the fourth Sunday after Epiphany, we will perform the Cantata BWV 81, Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen?, as well as a movement from another cantata appropriate for the time of year, the famous BWV 82 (in fact 82a, no. 3, Schlummert ein), in an unusual arrangement for soprano.

There will be other music by Bach and his contemporaries during the service, which lasts just over an hour. Admission to Bach Vespers is free (you are invited to make a donation at the collection) – and you would be welcome. If you want to know more about the City Bach Collective, then do sign up to our newsletter using the box to the right.