September 2020
Back to Bach: Frances Norbury
Our YouTube series Back to Bach reveals how OBS musicians have returned to the works of JS Bach during lockdown. Mass in F major, BWV 233 Qui tollis peccata Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben, BWV 8 Aria. Was willst du dich, mein Geist, entsetzen (Tenor) Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, Cantata BWV 1 Aria. Erfüllet, ihr himmlischen göttlichen Flammen (Soprano) In this third episode, Frances Norbury (oboe) explores the evocation of emotions through the medium of Bach's obbligato writing. Learn…
Find out more »October 2020
Back to Bach: Elspeth Piggott
Our YouTube series Back to Bach reveals how OBS musicians have returned to the works of JS Bach during lockdown. Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51 In this fourth episode, soprano and OBS choral scholar alumn, Elspeth Piggott, talks about her time in OBS and introduces The Hampstead Collective, a new musical initiative to have risen from the ashes of lockdown. Presenting Bach’s most famous cantata for solo soprano, Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen BWV 51, she explores the…
Find out more »Oxford Lieder Festival: Bach and Britten with Ian Bostridge and Saskia Giorgini
Oxford Lieder Festival: Bach and Britten with Ian Bostridge and Saskia Giorgini. This is the first event of four in a day that broadly explores the intersection of sacred and secular in song across the ages. Ian Bostridge’s residency at the Oxford Lieder Festival draws to a close with this wonderful programme, juxtaposing and joining Bach and Britten. Broadcast live from Merton College Chapel.
Find out more »November 2020
Back to Bach: Filippo Turkheimer & Dónal McCann
Our YouTube series Back to Bach reveals how OBS musicians have returned to the works of JS Bach during lockdown. Amore traditore, BWV 203 Concerto in D major after Vivaldi, BWV 972 In this fifth episode, Filippo Turkheimer (bass) and Dónal McCann (harpsichord) explore Bach’s enthralling output during his stint as the Kapellmeister in Cöthen. Bach’s affinity with Italian composers and compositional models strongly pervades throughout his works for the prestigious German court. Indeed, the two works on show—the Italian…
Find out more »December 2020
Back to Bach: Peace be with you
Our YouTube series Back to Bach reveals how OBS musicians have returned to the works of JS Bach during lockdown. Violin Sonata in G, BWV 1021 Der Friede sei mit dir (Peace be with you), BWV 158 Our sixth episode opens with Bach's Violin Sonata in G performed by Jean Paterson, violin, accompanied by Gabriel Amherst, cello and Anhad Arora, harpsichord. They are then joined by Ben Davies, baritone, for Bach's shortest extant cantata. Click to visit our YouTube Channel…
Find out more »Macmillan: Follow the Stars – A Celebration of Christmas
Celebrate the festive season with the Oxford Bach Soloists and a stellar cast of renowned musicians and A-list celebrities for a Carol Concert, re-imagined for 2020, which is being streamed online free to all and can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home.
Find out more »Christmas Baroque at Tilford Bach Society
Corelli, Handel, J S Bach, Purcell. A special feast of Baroque Christmas music, performed in Farnham for the Tilford Bach Society. The Oxford Bach Soloists are joined by Angela Hicks (soprano), William Purefoy (countertenor), Nick Pritchard (tenor), Ben Davies (baritone) in an evening of favourite Christmas highlights.
Find out more »January 2021
Back to Bach: Malcolm Archer
Our online series Back to Bach reveals how OBS musicians have returned to the works of JS Bach during lockdown. In this seventh episode, Malcolm Archer (organist, composer, and conductor) performs excerpts from Bach’s Goldberg Variations from his own studio. Malcolm will perform on the same harpsichord as was used in Episode 6: built by Alan Gotto of Norwich, it is a copy of the 1728 instrument by Christian Zell. Goldberg Variations Aria Variation 13 Variation 16 This concert will…
Find out more »April 2021
Virtual Easter Festival
We are delighted to present our inaugural Virtual Easter Festival this April.
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St John Passion BWV 245
Welcome to the OBS Easter Festival. Join us in the extraordinary setting of Christ Church Cathedral for a brand new immersive production with staging by renowned Director Thomas Guthrie.
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Christ lag in Todesbanden BWV 4
Day two of our online Easter Festival brings us Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ lay in death's bonds) - BWV 4 - from the intimate setting of New College Chapel. This includes a special lecture from our longterm partner in research, German Mediaevalist Professor Henrike Lähnemann.
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Easter Oratorio
We return to Christ Church Cathedral for day three of our Easter Festival, with the spectacular Easter Oratorio, BWV 249.
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Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret BWV 31
In the final part of our Easter Festival, join us for the peaceful beauty of our smallest piece of the weekend: Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret (Heaven laughs! Earth exults) - BWV 31.
Find out more »August 2021
Brandenburg 300: Friends Booking Opens
Friends booking for our Brandenburg 300 series opens at 0900
Find out more »Brandenburg 300: General Booking Opens
General booking for our Brandenburg 300 series opens at 0900
Find out more »October 2021
Edington Arts: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2
A gift from planet Earth to the universe, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 is the first musical track on “The Golden Record” onboard NASA’s two Voyager probes. Programme: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 (chamber version for quintet), BWV 1047R G. P. Telemann Herr Christ, der ein’ge Gottes Sohn TVWV 1:732 Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn (Lord Christ, the only son of God), BWV 96 Gott soll allein mein Herze haben (God alone shall have my heart), BWV 169 Tickets: We’re delighted to be guests at…
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spirit: give
Committing acts of kindness increases wellbeing. The first musical track on “The Golden Record” onboard NASA’s two Voyager probes is Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2: a gift from planet Earth to the universe. J. S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 (chamber version for quintet), BWV 1047R Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn (Lord Christ, the only son of God), BWV 96 Gott soll allein mein Herze haben (God alone shall have my heart), BWV 169 G. P. Telemann Herr Christ, der ein'ge Gottes…
Find out more »November 2021
mind: learn
Learning something new enhances self-esteem and helps us to feel balanced and connected. A sense of balance is inherent in the number three, as found in the “Trinity Knot” (Triquetra). Bach’s Third Brandenburg Concerto is unusual for its scoring and instrumentation: three violins, three violas, three cellos, and basso continuo. Could it be a depiction of the Trinity in music? Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, BWV 1048 Nur jedem das Seine! (To each his own!), BWV 163 Ich liebe den Höchsten von…
Find out more »December 2021
Macmillan: Follow the Stars 2021
The Oxford Bach Soloists will be performing for the second year at the 'A Celebration of Christmas' concert as part of Macmillan Cancer Support's fund-raising activities.
Find out more »January 2022
people: connect
Putting the wellbeing of others before ourselves is unconventional but enhances our own lives. Bach’s Fourth Brandenburg Concerto challenges commonly held social assumptions that some people are “better” than others. The young Prince elector of Saxony, Friederick Christian, expressed it well: “Princes exist for their subjects, not subjects for their princes.” Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, BWV 1049 Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen - ‘Herkules auf dem Scheidewege’ (Let us take care, let us watch over – ‘Hercules at the…
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