Bach’s Magnificat with the King’s College Choir

Whilst each December brings with it a tantalising abundance of Christmas choral concerts from first-rate ensembles, the annual collaboration between the Britten Sinfonia and the King’s College Choir must surely rank as one of the very best. In this year’s Barbican extravaganza, the two Cambridge institutions will be joined by five of the country’s finest solo vocalists – including Lucy Crowe and Ben Johnson. Expel the winter chill with music that is equal part meditative and jubilant, from Bach, Poulenc and Respighi.
The Britten Sinfonia will open the concert alone with a performance of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2. Commonly regarded as a peak of baroque orchestration, its three movements can all claim iconic moments and irresistible instrumentation. Watch out for the trumpet part, considered one of the most complex in the canon.
Francois Poulenc’s oeuvre is generally associated with wit and vim, bursting with simple yet subtle melodies. Yet he also had a spiritual side, creating works of ghostly beauty that evoke the unearthly and transcendent. The Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël (1952), which demands exceptional singers, epitomizes this style.
In the annals of twentieth-century music, Ottorino Respighi stands as something of an outsider. His Lauda per la Nativita del Signore (1930), a short poetic drama on the birth of Christ, shows his characteristic fusion of modern orchestral writing with the forms and techniques of early music. Encompassing madrigals, plainchant and fugue, it is a delightful fusion of vocal depth and instrumental colour.
Finally, the ensembles will turn back to Bach for a performance of his astounding Magnificat (1733). One of his most gargantuan piece in terms of forces required, it spans twelve movements of interweaving soloists, choir and orchestra. Opening with a brass-lined instrumental passage before the chorus enters with thrilling force, it is a work of the most ecstatic power, guaranteed to send shivers down one’s spine like little else.