Faith Matters

The theme of Leipzig’s Bach Festival this year was nothing less than the Vita Christi. During ten intense days in June, music-lovers were treated to the entire range of the great composer’s religious themes performed by the world’s finest musicians - from the Incarnation of Christ (Christmas Oratorio) to his Crucifixion and Resurrection (Easter Oratorio) and his Ascension into heaven (Ascension Oratorio). It was in here in Leipzig, the largest city in Saxony, that Johann Sebastian Bach composed his most famous religious works. And it was also here that he conducted the famous St Thomas Boys Choir, which celebrated the 800th anniversary of its foundation last year. 

This report from the 2013 festival provides a taste of Bach’s sublime sacred music, with its power to move Christians and non-Christians alike.