Concert by Various, Frá (2016/2016), Hljómsveitarstjóri John Eliot Gardiner

In advance of the 500th Anniversary of the Lutheran Church, this festive programme of works looked to transport audiences to 18th-century Leipzig for a traditional Christmas celebration. The programme moves from the intimacy of Süßer Trost to the vast celebration of joy that is Bach’s Magnificat. This run of concerts was the perfect follow-up to their critically acclaimed tour of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. The Bach at Christmas tour was dedicated to the memory of philanthropist and dear patron, Sir Ralph Kohn. ‘There has surely never been anyone quite like him in the history of music of the past hundred years. For Sir Ralph was a seminal figure: the fact that he was a fine musician and skilled singer in his own right gave additional significance to his exceptional generosity as a benefactor and discerning patron of performing groups and individuals over many years. The Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists have lost not only a munificent patron but a great friend of music. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family’. John Eliot Gardiner