Arts

Peter Lea-Cox began a lunchtime series of concerts presenting Bach cantatas when organist at St Jude-on-the-Hill, Hampstead Garden Suburb, and they came to full fruition in monthly Tuesday performances at the City church of St Mary-at-Hill, where Peter was also organist. Sadly, this church was severely damaged by fire (including a portative organ used by the Lecosaldi Ensemble), and although much (including the small organ) has been restored, the Cantata Series moved first to St Katherine Cree and then to St Anne & St Agnes. In this series and the Bach Vespers services referred to above, every surviving one of Bach’s Cantatas has been performed (the 195 church cantatas and the several secular works), a feat matched by very few ensembles in the world. It may also be noted that in Bach Vespers the inclusion of Scripture Sentences comes very close to completion of all Bach's 389 chorale harmonisations, which has not as far as is known been undertaken anywhere since Bach's own use of them.

Once a month (at 7.00pm, generally on the second Sunday of every month except August and September) the Vespers service at the Lutheran Church of St Anne & St Agnes in London took the form of a 90-minute service much as Johann Sebastian Bach would have known it, with Peter Lea-Cox directing and playing the large and chamber organs. Bach Vespers services are now available by request, at various churches in England and the East Coast of the United States.

The main part of the service with a motet appropriate to the day’s Lesson by a composer Bach would have known. The hymns are harmonised, as Bach would expect, differently for each verse according to the needs of the words: many harmonisations are by Bach, with others as required by other baroque composers or newly composed by Lecosaldi. Each hymn is preceded by an appropriate Chorale Prelude, and the Lord’s Prayer, Creed and Scripture Sentences are again set appropriately for Bach’s time, the Creed itself being largely as Luther would have known it.

The centre-piece of the service, after or around the sermon, is a Bach Cantata written for the particular Sunday in the year. These are performed by the Lecosaldi Ensemble, using single strings, wind as necessary, and chamber organ and basso continuo. There are around nine singers, with solo parts being taken by members of the group.

As a prelude, postlude, and incidental music for the offertory, a baroque concerto is performed, or sometimes some other appropriate instrumental work by Bach or one of his contemporaries or predecessors. Here, in general, the continuo keyboard instrument will be harpsichord, with Lea-Cox directing from the keyboard.

Peter Lea-Cox comments that “Emotionally the music is ungraspable - you unwrap a layer and there’s another one. Bach’s work can be enjoyed as great music, but it has a deeper meaning as a spiritual experience and an expression of joy.”

Other concerts and services are performed as required; for example, there have usually been Easter and Christmas concerts at St Anne’s, and the group participated in the Bach Festival held each summer in the City of London. A Bach Vespers service has also been given in Canterbury Cathedral. The ensemble is active on the East Coast of the Unites States, bringing to Lutheran communities and others a demonstration of how Bach’s work is being carried on in this way.