Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity Presents “Becoming Bach”

Johann Sebastian Bach was 38 years old when he arrived in Leipzig, Germany in 1723 to start his new position as cantor at St. Thomas’s Church. His first three years in Leipzig were a time of intensive creative expression in which he composed many of his key cantata cycles for the liturgical calendar.

To celebrate the 300th anniversary of Bach’s arrival in Leipzig, the 56th Season of Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity marks the enormous promise of that moment with “Becoming Bach,” a season-long program that curates key works of that highly influential period in Bach’s musical journey.

“Bach had great expectations for his new post in Leipzig, and we are the beneficiaries of that extraordinary era,” said Anthony Blake Clark, Artistic Director of Bach Vespers. “In this role, Bach would finally realize the fullness of his ‘Endsweck’ - his ultimate life’s ambition for a “well-regulated church music for the glory of God.” Without the works presented during the church calendar of 1723-1724, Bach’s legacy would be significantly less gargantuan.”

Highlights of the anniversary retrospective include Bach’s Magnificat which premiered in 1723, and the Easter Sunday cantata BWV 4 Christ lag in Todes Banden and BWV 199 Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut, which both debuted in the 1724 cycle. Also included will be a number of Bach’s first Leipzig cantatas including BWV 75 Die Elenden sollen essen and BWV 22 Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe.

Three unique programs will be presented in addition to the Vespers service schedule; in a tribute to the rich coffeehouse tradition of Post-Enlightenment Europe, Holy Trinity will host a Zimmerman’s Coffee House Experienceon the 24th of September featuring favorite musical selections from the Bach Players and Bach Choir vocalists. During Lent, Director of Music at St. Thomas 5th Avenue Jeremy Filsell will be guest organist in a special Vespers service. The pinnacle of the season will be a gala concert presentation of Bach’s B-minor Mass.

The 56th Season of Bach Vespers runs October 2023 through May 2024 with the following schedule (all events are Sundays at 5pm unless indicated):

24th September Zimmerman’s Coffee House Experience
29th October BWV 75 Die Elenden sollen essen
12th November BWV 90 Es reißet euch ein schrecklich Ende
10th December BWV 243 Magnificat
7th January BWV 153 Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind
11th February BWV 22 Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe
18th February Organ Vespers - Dr. Jeremy Filsell
Fri, 29th March, 7pm - Good Friday: BWV 199 Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut

31st March - Easter: BWV 4 Christ Lag in Todesbanden & selections Handel’s Dixit Dominus

28th April BWV 165 O heilges Geist und Wasserbad

Sat, 18th May - Gala Concert: BWV 232 Mass in B-minor (ticketed event)

“We can only imagine how thrilling it was to hear these great works in Leipzig for the very first time,” said Clark. “At Holy Trinity we can experience what that anticipation and excitement must have been like in the same liturgical setting that Bach would have performed these pieces.”

For more than half-a-century, Upper West Side residents have marked the start of Sunday evening with the sacred music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Presented by candlelight in a Lutheran liturgical service of evening prayer, Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity is free to the community, and offers cantatas in the context for which they were originally created.

Located at 65th and Central Park West, Bach Vespers is the only regular source of free, best-in-class early music available on the Upper West Side. The Reverend Timothy Weisman of Holy Trinity delivers the homily at each service and Music Director Austin Philemon provides the preludes and postludes of J.S. Bach’s greatest works for organ on the Paul Fritts Opus 16 pipe organ. The services are streamed live and archived online.

“Bach’s arrival in Leipzig was an inflection point for liturgical music, and in many ways, Leipzig was where J.S. became Bach,” said Clark. “We invite our Bach Vespers community to join us for this exploration of Johann Sebastian’s most transformational years.”

For additional information, call 212-877-6815 or visit https://www.holytrinitynyc.org/bach-vespers