The next edition of the London Bach Society’s Journal ‘Bach Notes’ will be published early in March. This will be a special to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Leipzig’s world famous boys’ choir, the Thomanerchor, the history and everyday life “Once a Thomaner, always a Thomaner”. The choir will receive the RAM/Kohn Foundation Bach Prize at [...]
The death of the distinguished harpsichordist and director Gustav Leonhardt in Holland on 16 January closes one of the most important chapters in the history of European Music over the last half century. He was perhaps the last living ‘true pioneer’ of historically informed performances of Bach, daring to challenge accepted thinking from the 1950s as Europe emerged from the [...]
The Composer at work in Advent and at Christmas For our 21st Bachfest last month we considered Bach’s life as a working composer, busily providing and preparing for his weekly commitments to the church and the town. The performances of the Goldbergs, Violin Sonatas, study of the Mass in B minor and the presentation of two cantatas both [...]
Sometimes I feel that this beloved country of ours has an Honours Degree, **First, in talking itself into the brimstone pit! OK, so we have a problem getting our young people into concert halls to hear Bach and Beethoven. That is accepted…but equally, we also have a problem getting them into the Polling Booths to [...]