Nur jedem das Seine (BWV 163) is the first of two cantatas composed in late 1715 for the court in Weimar, where Bach compiled the Brandenburg Concertos. (We will hear the second, Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn! (BWV 132), in December’s event.) At the time he was about a year into his employment there and the Court was just emerging from a period of mourning for Prince Johann Ernst, a keen and skilled musician. Speaking to the concerns of the court, the cantata takes as its inspiration the story of the Pharisees laying a trap for Jesus by questioning him about the legality of paying tax to Caesar.

Bach, the Universe & Everything: November 2025

Kings Place

The first cantata of the new season sets us on the well-trodden trajectory from forgiveness to hope. First performed in Leipzig on 15 October 1724 (the 19th Sunday after Trinity), Wo soll ich fliehen hin displays Bach’s fondness for symmetrical structures and also features a rare appearance from the tromba di tirasi – the slide trumpet.

Bach, the Universe & Everything: October 2025

The ensemble’s recent album brings together a sequence of works, ancient and modern, to mark the feast of Epiphany.

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The Gesualdo Six

Wigmore Hall

The two-time Grammy-award winning Attacca Quartet performs Caroline Shaw’s Valencia, plus pieces from their genre-busting 2021 album Of All Joys, a powerful musical journey that folds late 20th-century minimalism back onto the music of the Renaissance. ​Attacca Quartet “lives in the present aesthetically, without rejecting the virtues of the musical past” (The Nation), and are recognized and acclaimed as one of the most versatile and outstanding ensembles of the moment — a true quartet for modern times. Gliding through traditional classical repertoire to electronica, video game music and contemporary collaborations, they are one of the world’s most innovative and respected ensembles. With students from Kaufman Music Center’s Special Music School and the John J. Cali School of Music.

Attacca Quartet

Kaufman Music Center

The Capilla Flamenca was perhaps the most glorious choir ever assembled. A gift from a queen to her grandson, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, the elite group of singers and composers dazzled the courts and cathedrals of Spain for centuries with their sublime voices and stellar music. Now, Seraphic Fire—led by guest conductor Amanda Quist—will bring their legacy to life in a stunning tribute to the Capilla Flamenca. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to witness the splendor of a golden age of choral music.

Renaissance: The Capilla Flamenca

St. Gregory's Episcopal Church

Church of the Little Flower

All Saints Episcopal Church

Moorings Presbyterian Church

The sentiments expressed in the soprano’s opening aria – “Prepare the paths… Messiah approaches!”- will be quite familiar to British audiences in the Christmas period as it draws from the same biblical passage as the opening numbers of Handel’s Messiah. Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn! is a beautifully reflective piece designed to ready the faithful for the seasonal celebrations.

Bach, the Universe & Everything: December 2025

The cantata was composed in 1725 in Leipzig for the third Sunday after Advent. The chorale upon which it is based is a hymn dating back to pre-Reformation days and is woven into pieces by several composers Bach admired including Lassus and Schutz. Its distinctive melodic shape and harmony elicit great energy in Bach’s writing whilst its central duet for alto and tenor depict two souls drawing close to heaven.

Bach, the Universe & Everything: January 2026

The unspecified occasion may have been a wedding as the chorale upon which it is based was a well-known wedding song in the city. The result is a work in which Bach challenges his singers and instrumentalists: the opening fantasia is followed unusually by no less than four arias (and no recitatives) for the quartet of vocal soloists with impressive solos for flute and oboe d’amore.

Bach, the Universe & Everything: February 2026

Emily Akkermans, Curator of Time at Royal Museums Greenwich (including the Royal Observatory), introduces us to the life and work of John Harrison. In the week that marks the 250th anniversary of his death on 24 March 1776, we will get an insight into the story of Harrison’s remarkable quest over several decades to solve the problem of telling the time at sea, considered the most important scientific challenge of the 18th Century.

Jacobus Clemens Non Papa

Events

Upcoming events

Dec 14, 2025

Bach, the Universe & Everything: December 2025 · Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Jan 25, 2026

Bach, the Universe & Everything: January 2026 · Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Feb 22, 2026

Bach, the Universe & Everything: February 2026 · Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Mar 22, 2026

Bach, the Universe & Everything: March 2026 · Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Past events

Nov 30, 2025

Bach, the Universe & Everything: November 2025 · Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Oct 26, 2025

Bach, the Universe & Everything: October 2025 · Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

About

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