SACRED SHADOWS, ETERNAL LIGHT
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Hear my prayer
HEINRICH SCHÜTZ Musikalische Exequien (Part I); Die mit Tränen säen
JOHANNES BRAHMS Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny)
CLARA SCHUMANN Abendfeier in Venedig
GUSTAV MAHLER Urlicht (from Symphony No 2‚ ‘Resurrection’)
The Echoing Air vocal ensemble
Bath Philharmonia
Andrea Brown conductor
An evening of radiant choral music celebrating the great composers who lived and worked in Leipzig, a city at the heart of musical inspiration.
From the serene spirituality of Schütz’s Musikalische Exequien to the joyous awakening of Bach’s Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, our concert traced a journey of faith, hope, and human longing. Brahms’ Schicksalslied brought the drama of destiny, while Mendelssohn’s Hear My Prayer (including the famous aria O for the wings of a dove!) soared heavenward with its heartfelt plea for inner peace, all crowned by the glowing transcendence of a stunning choral arrangement of Mahler’s Urlicht.
We were excited to be working with The Echoing Air, a recently-established vocal ensemble already attracting fine reviews, and the RPS-Award-nominated Bath Philharmonia, renowned as a dynamic ensemble that has evolved over more than 25 years into the city’s premier professional orchestra.
This was a concert of profound beauty and emotional depth, from quiet reflection to exultant joy - a rekindling of a glorious choral heritage inspired by timeless musical memories from Leipzig!
