Before Bach and After Series Leaflet

CHAMBER CHOIR IRELAND

A series of four concerts featuring the complete Bach motets and related works

BEFORE BACH AND AFTER Johann Sebastian Bach’s motets enjoy a special kind of status in the choral repertoire. They contain sophisticated, almost self-consciously brilliant music of high quality and rich invention; they also make virtuoso demands of any vocalists who dare to perform them! At times it can seem as if their very eminence has isolated them, so that as musical works they appear to be floating in a genre of their own making. Yet it is a porous identity, for there are other works or bits of works by Bach that claim our attention, and while although he composed only seven motets and a handful of arrangements, there are over two hundred cantatas. Are those seven really so special?

In fact I believe they are, and just as orchestras like to push themselves by presenting a cycle of, say, the nine Beethoven symphonies, so we in our more intimate domain felt inspired to present a cycle of Bach motets.

But we also aim in this series of four concerts to place them in a wider historical context and examine just what a ‘motet’ has been and what it might be today: both before Bach therefore, and after. paul hillier 2018

PRE-CONCERT TALKS Each of the Dublin concerts will be accompanied by a free pre-concert talk/interview given by broadcaster Tim Thurston, one hour before the concert.

The music of Johann Sebastian Bach has always been central to Tim’s life. He has sung most of his choral masterpieces including a number of cycles of the Motets and, under John Beckett, in St Ann’s, over 100 of his Cantatas. In 2017 he heard Bach’s music performed in many of the churches in Thuringia, in which Bach worked.

Tim’s programme “Gloria” ran for 18 years on RTÉ lyric fm on which he played over 10,000 choral works and the companion book “Gloria – an Introduction to 1000 years of European Sacred Music” reached No.2 in the Best Seller lists during December 2011.

He has given many lectures and broadcasts on Bach’s life and works.

booking details All booking details and further information can be found on www.chamberchoirireland.com or by calling +353 (1) 5545210

dublin deal — all four concerts for €55

BEFORE BACH & AFTER I AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2018 Sat 18 August 10pm St Canice’s RC Church, Kilkenny €25/22.50

Sat 8 Sept 7.30pm St Thomas Church, Belfast £14/10 Sun 9 Sept 3.30pm St Ann’s Church, Dawson St, Dublin €20/15 lecture: 9 Sept 2.30pm St Ann’s Church Tim Thurston in conversation with Paul Hillier, CCI Artistic Director free

Palestrina (1525–1594) Missa Brevis Kyrie & Gloria (JSB’s edition from the Altbachisches Archiv) Sebastian Knüpfer (1633–1676) Erforsche mich (motet for 8 voices from the Altbachisches Archiv) Heinrich Isaac (1450–1517) Innsbruck ich muss dich lassen Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) Two Motets Op. 29: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her Schaffe in mir Gott ein rein Herz Isaac/J.S. Bach (1685–1750) Nun ruhen alle Wälder (from the Altbachisches Archiv) J.S. Bach (1685–1750) Jesu meine Freude

BEFORE BACH & AFTER II NOVEMBER 2018 Fri 16 Nov 7.30pm St Canice’s RC Church, Kilkenny €15/10 Presented in association with Music in Kilkenny Sat 17 Nov 8pm St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, Dublin €20/15 lecture: 17 Nov 7pm St Ann’s Church Tim Thurston in conversation with David Fennessy, Composer free

J.S. Bach (1685–1750) Fürchte dich nicht David Fennessy (1976–) Letter to Michael

Adam de la Halle (C13) Robins m’aime Mout me fu gries Guillaume de Machaut (C14) Veni creator Christe qui lux es Guillaume Dufay (1397–1474) Nuper Rosarum David Fennessy (1976–) Ne Reminiscaris

J.S. Bach (1685–1750) Ich lasse dich nicht David Fennessy (1976–) New Commission world premiere

J.S. Bach & Telemann Jauchzet dem Herrn

BEFORE BACH & AFTER III FEBRUARY / MAY 2019 Sun 3 Feb 3.30pm St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, Dublin €20/15 Thur 2 May 8pm St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick €20/18 Presented in association with Lime Tree Theatre Fri 3 May 7.30pm St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork Presented as part of of Cork International Choral Festival lecture: 3 Feb 2.30pm St Ann’s Church Tim Thurston in conversation with Majella Hollywood, CCI CEO free

J.S. Bach (1685–1750) Komm Jesu komm Anne Boyd (b. 1946) As I crossed a bridge of dreams J.S. Bach (1685–1750) Fuga V (from WohlTemperiertes Klavier. II)

Julia Wolfe (b. 1958) Guard my tongue J.S. Bach (1685–1750) Zion hört die Wächter singen (from Wachet auf) Santa Ratniece (b. 1977) Horo Horo Hata Hata J.S. Bach (1685–1750) Lobet dem Herrn

BEFORE BACH & AFTER IV JUNE 2019 Fri 14 Jun 7.30pm St Canices RC Church Kilkenny €15/10 Presented in association with Music in Kilkenny Sat 15 Jun 7pm St Ann’s Church, Dawson St, Dublin €20/15 Presented as part of Great Music in Irish Houses lecture: 15 Jun 6pm St Ann’s Church Tim Thurston free

Heinrich Schütz (1615–1672) Four motets from Geistliche Chormusik, 1648: Ich bin eine rufende Stimme Also hat Gott der Welt verliebt Die mit Tränen säen Das ist je gewisslich Wahr J.S. Bach (1685–1750) Der Geist hilft Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) Two Motets Op. 74: Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Mühseligen O Heiland reiss die Himmel auf J.S. Bach (1685–1750) Es ist genug Sven-David Sandstrøm (b. 1942) Es ist genug J.S. Bach (1685–1750) Singet dem Herrn

Chamber Choir Ireland and Artistic Director Paul Hillier present a series of four concerts featuring the complete Bach motets and related works from ca.1280 to the 21st century, by Adam de la Halle, Machaut, Guillaume Dufay, Heinrich Isaac, Palestrina, SchĂźtz, KnĂźpfer, Brahms, Anne Boyd, Julia Wolfe, David Fennessy and Santa Ratniece.