Irish Baroque Orchestra

Abendmusik: Cantatas in Context

The term Abendmusik is borrowed from the tradition of evening concerts of sacred music established in Lubeck's Marienkirche in the late seventeenth century. The programme takes its inspiration from the liturgical milieu within which JS Bach composed his cantatas, masses and organ chorales, and the important relationship that existed in this tradition between scripture and music. The principal Gospel reading of the Lutheran Sunday liturgy was both proclaimed and explained by the music which surrounded it, clothing it in the bright array of musical artifice for the purposes of illumination and interpretation.

This programme follows in very loose outline form the principal Lutheran Sunday liturgy, and is composed of four important elements. Central is the reading of the Gospel of Trinity XII (this year falling on 8th November): St Matthew's parable of the unmerciful servant, with its important accompanying theme of forgiveness. The two principal musical elements of the programme are the Mass in G BWV 236, consisting of Kyrie and multi-movement Gloria only as was common in post-Reformation liturgy, and the cantata set for the day, Mache dich, mein Geist BWV 115. Interspersed throughout the programme is Luther's extended chorale version of the Lord's Prayer, expanding on the Gospel theme of forgiveness and heard in the three organ preludes as well as in the massed singing of all nine verses of the hymn.

The programme takes the Gospel for the week as the central inspiration in a quasi-liturgical sequence of some of JS Bach's greatest choral music, including the Mass in G BWV 236, and the cantata 115 Mache dich, mein Geist. A feature of the programme will be the singing of the chorales by massed forces teaming Resurgam with local choirs who have been specially selected and trained for the purpose, fulfilling the role of an ardent 18th century Leipzig congregation.