BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER | Bach is back. Trinity Wall Street’s popular Bach at One concerts at St. Paul’s Chapel resumed on March 5 with a Bach organ prelude in E-flat major, two Bach motets, a motet by Bach’s predecessor, Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) and a reading by Anne Mallonee, Trinity’s vicar, of a meditation for Lent.
The audience enthusiastically applauded the reappearance of Trinity’s free midday music program that was put on “hiatus” in January for lack of funds. Private donors and additional funding from Trinity enabled Bach at One to return.
At just over half an hour, the program was shorter than most previous Bach at One offerings, and there were fewer musicians — 12 singers accompanied by a cellist and an organist. But Julian Wachner, Trinity Wall Street’s Director of Music and the Arts, attributed the size of the choir to “fatigue” rather than funding. He said the choir had just performed with the Mark Morris Dance Group at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and some of the singers needed a rest. He said that future Bach at One concerts would utilize a larger group of singers and instrumentalists.
In addition to works by Bach, Schütz motets from the composer’s Geistliche Chormusik of 1648 will be part of most of the upcoming programs.
WWFM is broadcasting the Bach at One concerts live on their website www.wwfm.org.
Bach at One will continue on Mondays through May 7. It will begin again on Monday, October 1. On Palm Sunday, April 1, there will be a complete performance of Bach’s St. John Passion at St. Paul’s at 3 pm.
Trinity Choir’s summer break does not reflect lack of funding, said Mallonee. Traditionally the choir takes summers off, she said. She commented that the singers are in high demand and often want to spend their summers singing elsewhere.
In the fall, Compline services with the choir will again be offered on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. The choir’s participation in Trinity’s 9 a.m. Sunday service will resume Sunday, October 7.
