Bach celebrated Advent with the joyful cantata BWV 132, Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn. Come and join us for a performance of this sublime work on 27 November at 6.30pm at the church of St Mary at Hill in the City of London, hosted by St Anne’s Lutheran Church. This uplifting work is one of Bach’s early cantatas, written whilst he was working in Weimar. Full of musical contrasts from its dance-like opening to the poignantly beautiful alto aria with obbligato violin, this is a real ‘feel-good’ piece, perfectly designed to get everyone in good spirits before Christmas. Our team of singers and instrumentalists will also present other seasonal music by German baroque composers.
Come and enjoy it, and bring your friends along! Everyone is welcome (you don’t have to be religious), and attendance is free. We look forward to seeing you and sharing Bach’s wonderful music!
Come and join us on 25 September at the church of St Mary-at-Hill in the City of London, 6.30pm. We’ll be performing Bach’s splendidly rich cantata BWV 17, Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich, which celebrates gratitude in all its forms. A feast of counterpoint, this cantata contains some memorable moments, such as the toe-tapping tenor aria ‘Welch Übermaß’ and the opening chorus, one of Bach’s most brilliant choral fugues. Bach liked this movement so much, he reused it in his Missa in G (BWV 236). The service also includes a striking sonata for strings by Fasch, and vocal and organ music by other Bach contemporaries.
Come and join us for Bach Vespers on 31 July, at 6.30 pm, in the church of St Mary at Hill in the City of London. We will perform Bach’s cantata BWV 187, Es wartet alles auf dich. This superb cantata consists of two parts, which Bach intended to be performed either side of the sermon, and we will do the same. It is based on the Gospel story of the miracle of the feeding of the multitude, depicted here in an early seventeenth-century painting by Bernardo Strozzi. The music of this cantata is such high quality that Bach later re-used much of it in his famous Mass in G minor, BWV 235. There will also be lots of other music from baroque Germany, sung and performed on period instruments.