Ottawa Bach Choir: Leipzig 1723

The JUNO award-winning Ottawa Bach Choir (OBC) presents the final concert of its 22nd season, Leipzig 1723, on Saturday, May 4, 2024, 8:00 p.m., at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 82 Kent Street, in Ottawa. The concert features exquisite German baroque cantatas by the candidates for Thomaskantor in Leipzig: Telemann, Graupner and Bach. Works include Telemann’s Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, TWV 7:30; Graupner’s Aus der Tiefen rufen wir, GWV 1113/23a; and Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75, the first cantata Bach composed for his new post as Thomaskantor in Leipzig. Accompanied by Ensemble Caprice baroque orchestra, organist Matthew Larkin and talented soloists from the choir, this brilliant concert will close the season with a flourish.

“In honour of the 300th anniversary of Bach’s tenure as Thomaskantor in Leipzig, we are thrilled to present magnificent cantatas by the three main candidates considered for the position, Telemann, Graupner and Bach,” says Founder and Artistic Director, Lisette Canton. “Hear these rarely performed gems by the leading German composers of the day and immerse yourself in this timeless music, performed with the distinguished Baroque orchestra Ensemble Caprice and soloists. A glorious experience you won’t want to miss!”

The Ottawa Bach Choir, founded in 2002 by Dr. Lisette Canton, offers audiences a wide range of choral music of the finest quality, performing music from all historical periods while keeping Bach’s choral oeuvre as the focus of its repertoire. With the combination of a scholarly and emotional approach, the OBC provides an unforgettable experience of choral music at its best. The OBC won the 2020 JUNO Award for its album, Handel: Dixit Dominus; Bach & Schütz: Motets, in the category Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral, and returned from the prestigious international festival, Bachfest Leipzig, in June 2022. The OBC has toured extensively in Canada, Europe, the United States and China, and had the honour of being the first Canadian choir ever to be among the performers in Bachfest Leipzig 2014. The choir’s eighth album, Johann Sebastian Bach: Six Motets, on the ATMA Classique label, critically acclaimed as “one of the finest on record” (The WholeNote), is available on all streaming platforms as well as on the choir’s website.