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Solomon's Knot, Wigmore Hall's Baroque Ensemble in Residence, is a conductorless international collective of leading instrumentalists and singers who perform from memory. Tonight they present three of Bach's colourfully scored vocal and choral works, all written soon after his appointment as Cantor of St Thomas's in Leipzig in 1723.

Two Cantatas begin the concert. The first, 'O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort' (O eternity, you word of thunder), is famous for its unusual closing whole-tone tune which 200 years later, Alban Berg used in the final movement of his Violin Concerto. And 'Wachet! Betet! Betet! Wachet!' (Watch! Pray! Pray! Watch!) begins with a rousing chorus and trumpet fanfares.

To end, Bach's Magnificat in E flat. The text, taken from the Gospel of Luke, is Mary's joyful thanks to the Lord that, despite being a virgin, He has fixed it so she will bear a child who "will be called the Son of the Most High." Bach later added four extra Christmas-themed movements to zhuzh up his setting with a seasonal twist for his Leipzig congregation.

Recorded earlier this month and introduced by Ian Skelly.

JS Bach:
O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort BWV 60
Wachet! Betet! Betet! Wachet! BWV 70
Magnificat in E flat BWV 243a with Christmas interpolations

Solomon's Knot