Motets: J S Bach 1685-1750

Funeral Sentences: Henry Purcell 1659-1695

The Bach motets are some of the greatest - and most virtuosic - of all choral works, and they represent Bach at his exuberant best. In particular, the large double choir works Singet dem Herrn and Der Geist Hilf, and the four part Lobet den Herrn give the impression of being festive works written for major celebrations. But ironically the Bach motets were actually written for civic funerals whilst Bach was at Leipzig. Only in the largest of the motets, Jesu, meine Freude, is the festive spirit balanced by darker and more intense music.

Purcell's Funeral Sentences, on the other hand, fall much more into line with our expectations of funeral music. Composed for the funeral of Queen Mary II in the closing years of Purcell's life, these sombre and highly chromatic pieces for soloists and chorus offer a fascinating contrast to the Bach motets. Taken together, the works in this concert show how two of the greatest minds of the Baroque approached music for similar functions in radically different ways.

Download front of poster for this performance (JPEG image, 354 Kb)
Download reverse of poster for this performance (JPEG image, 334 Kb)
Download programme notes and texts & translations for this performance (Microsoft Word document, 74 Kb)

Programme

    Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied: J.S. Bach
    Funeral Sentences: Henry Purcell
    Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf: Bach

    Interval

    Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden: Bach
    Hear me, O Lord: Purcell
    Jesu, meine Freude: Bach

8pm* Sunday 22 July 1990
Wellington Cathedral of St Paul
Molesworth Street, Wellington
* pre-concert talk at 7.30pm
$20 / $15

dir. Simon Ravens

Back home