About Bach Vespers

For at least the last eighteen centuries, some formula for prayer at the end of the day has been part of the Christian tradition. While no one knows precisely what the earliest form of Vespers looked like or sounded like, certain themes have managed to endure, including confession, gratitude, and light. While Vespers never quite became a significant part of Lutheran piety, that it is still kept at all in the Lutheran tradition may be thanks to one church: the Thomaskirche in Leipzig.

In 1968, as Holy Trinity Lutheran Church marked its 100th anniversary, the church set out to celebrate its history and the rich tradition of music in the Lutheran Church. Drawing from the high level of music performance in the City of New York, a series named “Evenings with Johann S” was established in homage to the twenty-seven years Johann Sebastian Bach served as the Kantor of the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, where most of his cantatas were composed.

Though Bach’s cantatas were generally performed at the primary Sunday morning liturgy in Leipzig, our practice at Bach Vespers imagines what can happen when we juxtapose the ancient tradition of Vespers with the cantatas of the principal musician of the city that helped it endure. As a result, Bach Vespers is the first music series in the Western Hemisphere to present the cantatas of the great Lutheran composer Johann Sebastian Bach within a liturgical context. Since it is a service of worship, Bach Vespers is free and open to the public, with neither tickets nor reservations required.

The more than 75 vocalists and instrumentalists (playing period instruments) who regularly contribute to Bach Vespers are some of the finest early musicians in the nation. Over fifty years, eight hundred worship services, thousands of candles, and two Grammy nominations later, having performed 158 of the 200 extant cantatas, Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity continues this series on many Sunday evenings from October to May.

Whether you identify as faith-filled or not so sure, Lutheran or Luther-who? you are welcome to participate in the singing, prayer, and ritual of Bach Vespers only to the extent you feel comfortable doing so. Welcome. There will always be a place for you here.