Laudate at Bath Abbey

About

This summer, Bath Bach Choir proudly presents an exciting and inspiring evening of orchestral and choral music by two masters of Baroque music. Audiences are invited to the awe-inspiring setting of Bath Abbey to hear some of the finest works of the 18th century.

The choir will be joined by the virtuoso Geldart Ensemble to perform Bach's Magnificat in D major, marking the 300th anniversary of the first performance of this splendid work. The choir regularly includes in its programmes works by the outstanding composer whose name it proudly bears; the Magnificat is a long-standing favourite with singers and audiences alike. Bach put his heart into writing this hymn of praise to prove his skills to his new employers in Leipzig, and audiences are still thrilled by those soaring sounds. The Geldart Ensemble, fine exponents of Baroque music, will delight the audience with their performance of Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3, featuring the famous Air on the G string.

The choir will also perform two sublime pieces by one of Bach's near-contemporaries, Marianna Martines, a lady admired by both Haydn and Mozart but whose compositions have been unjustly neglected for centuries – until now. Much-acclaimed in Vienna in her day, Martines was a genius, a trailblazing female musician, acknowledged by her contemporaries as one of the greatest of her age. The Dixit Dominus (Psalm 110) is probably her finest composition, a sacred masterpiece; alongside this will be a rare opportunity to hear her remarkable setting of Laudate Pueri Dominum (Psalm 112).

As Bath Bach Choir continues to bring the finest musical performances to Bath, audiences are encouraged to join them for an evening of jubilation and splendour.