Do join us for Bach Vespers on 26 May at 6.30pm at the church of St Mary at Hill in the City of London. We’ll be performing Bach’s little-known masterpiece BWV 176, Es ist ein trotzig und verzagt Ding, a cantata originally written to celebrate the feast of the Trinity in 1725. Bach enriches the woodwind sound by adding an oboe da caccia (pictured) to the usual two oboes. In the alto aria, all three oboes play in unison, a symbolic representation of the three-in-one Trinity. Other features of the work are the striking opening fugue and gavotte-style soprano aria, all set to a text by the female librettist Christiana Mariana von Ziegler. 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.

Following Bach Vespers: 30 June, BWV 93.

Come and join us for Bach Vespers on 28 April at 6.30pm at the church of St Mary at Hill in the City of London. We’ll be performing the splendid cantata BWV 86, Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch, a work bursting with variety of musical colours and textures. Each solo aria features different instrumental effects, from weaving contrapuntal strings to bubbling oboe d’amores, with a sparkling violin obbligato thrown in along the way. We will also perform other 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.

Following Bach Vespers: 26 May.

Come and join us for Bach Vespers on 25 February, at 6.30pm at the church of St Mary-at-Hill in the City of London. We’ll be performing Bach’s well-loved motet, BWV 227, Jesu, meine Freude. Bach’s church in Leipzig observed ‘tempus clausum’ during Lent, when florid music in church was not permitted. As a result, few Lent cantatas have come down to us, but Jesu meine Freude provides a powerful and moving replacement. Featuring ten singers, with continuo bass, this performance showcases Bach’s skilled five-part vocal writing. The service also features poignant German instrumental music for violin and continuo, performed on period instruments. We look forward to sharing Bach’s wonderful music with you!

Photo: Andrea Liu

Happy New Year!   We start 2024 with Bach Vespers on 28 January, 6.30pm, at the church of St Mary-at-Hill in the City of London. This service features Bach’s beautiful but rarely performed cantata, BWV 124, Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht. This work uses a concertante oboe d’amore, making it effectively an oboe d’amore concerto, and will feature our oboist extraordinaire, Geoff Coates (pictured). The text relates to the Gospel reading of the Finding in the Temple. There will be other instrumental and vocal music by German baroque composers, performed with period instruments. Do come along and bring a friend. Everyone is welcome (no need to be religious) and entry is free. We look forward to sharing Bach’s wonderful music with you.

Following Bach Vespers: 25 February, with BWV 227.

Wishing all our friends and followers a very happy Christmas!

Thanks to you all for your support and for being there to share Bach’s wonderful music.

We’ll be back in the new year, with Bach Vespers on 28 January, featuring the cantata BWV 124, Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht, at the Church of St Mary-at-Hill, at 6.30pm.