Photo: Andre Liu

Come and join us on 26 November, when we perform Bach’s rarely heard cantata BWV 116, Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ. The service takes place at 6.30pm at the church of St Mary-at-Hill in the City of London. This expressive cantata, on the theme of help in distress, features oboe d’amores, as well as an unusual vocal terzetto. In the opening chorale fantasia voices and instruments interweave in a concerto grosso texture. Our team of voices and period instrumentalists will also perform other music of the German Baroque.

Everyone is welcome. You don’t need to be religious and entrance is free (with a voluntary collection). We look forward to sharing Bach’s wonderful music with you.

Don’t miss us on 29 October as we perform Bach’s magnificent and ever popular Reformation cantata, BWV 80, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. This Bach Vespers service takes place at 6.30pm at the church of St Mary at Hill in the City of London, hosted by St Anne’s Lutheran Church. This cantata features a team of three oboes of different sizes and bassoon, playing with and in contrast to the strings to create fabulous textural colours. There will also be lots of other music too, performed on period instruments.

Everyone is welcome (you don’t have to be religious), and attendance is free. Do come along and bring your friends. We look forward to seeing you there to share Bach’s wonderful music!

The following Bach Vespers will be on 26 November (BWV 116).

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.