After the summer break, we are back for Bach Vespers on 24 September. Come and join us at 6.30pm at the church of St Mary at Hill in the City of London. We’ll be performing the splendid cantata BWV 33, Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, a work bursting with variety of musical colours and textures. The impressive opening choral fantasia, showcasing our superb vocal team and virtuosic oboes, contrasts with more tender moments, such as the alto aria featuring pizzicato strings and muted violin. We will also perform other music from the German baroque for voices and period instruments. The Revd Sarah Farrow, known for her lively sermons, returns to Bach Vespers to lead this service.

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.

Next Bach Vespers: 29 October, with BWV 80, Ein feste Burg.

Lovely to see so many enthusiastic listeners at Bach Vespers yesterday!

We’re taking a break now for the summer. We’ll be back for Bach Vespers with BWV 33 ‘Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ’ on 24 September. We look forward to seeing you then and sharing more of Bach’s fantastic music.

Wishing all our friends and supporters a relaxing and enjoyable summer meanwhile!

On 30 July we will perform the powerfully expressive cantata BWV 105, Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht, at a Bach Vespers service at St Mary-at-Hill in the City of London, at 6.30pm. Bach wrote this cantata for performance in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig in 1723. It focuses on the theme of forswearing material wealth (Mamon). It opens with a monumental chorus movement in two parts. Another striking moment in the cantata is a dramatic aria on the anguish of sinners. The soprano line interweaves with the oboe over a texture of strings depicting fearful trembling.  This cantata has been described as ‘one of the most sublime descriptions of the soul in baroque and Christian art’ (Dürr).

There will also be other music of the German baroque, performed with period instruments.

It is free to attend and you don’t need to be religious, so do come along and bring a friend. We look forward to sharing Bach’s wonderful music with you.

No Bach Vespers in August. We start again in September.

Come and join us for Bach Vespers on 25 June, 6.30pm, at the church of St Mary-at-Hill, where we will perform BWV 10, Meine Seel erhebt den Herren. Also known as Bach’s ‘German Magnificat’, this stunningly beautiful cantata was originally composed for the Feast of the Visitation in 1724. In format it is a typical chorale cantata, but instead of being based on a hymn tune, it is based on the chant melody traditionally used for the Magnificat with German text by Martin Luther. The service will also contain other music by German baroque composers, performed by our team of singers and period instrument specialists.

Everyone is welcome. Attendance is free and you don’t need to be religious, so do come along and bring a friend. We look forward to sharing Bach’s wonderful music with you.

Following Bach Vespers: 30 July.

Our next Bach Vespers is on 28 May at 6.30pm, in the church of St Mary-at-Hill in the City of London. We’ll be performing the beautiful but little known Pentecost cantata BWV 184. Bach gave this cantata its special colour by using two flutes combined with strings for sweet and poignant effect. We’ll also perform some movements from the popular Bach orchestral suite in B minor, which is almost a flute concerto, featuring the wonderful flautist Lisete da Silva. There will also be other music of the German baroque, performed with period instruments.

It is free to attend and you don’t need to be religious, so do come along and bring a friend. We look forward to sharing Bach’s wonderful music with you.

Following Bach Vespers: 25 June.