Cantamus Bach Choir - Bach's Magnificat and Vivaldi's Gloria

Two of the most popular of all choral composers to be paired in the exciting Cantamus performance of the Gloria and Magnificat.

During his lifetime Vivaldi enjoyed considerable success and fortune, but for two centuries after his death, the Gloria lay undiscovered. Today Vivaldi is one of the most popular of all composers: his Gloria stands as amongst the most exuberant choral works to sing, always especially pleasurable and thrilling to the listener.

Bach’s Magnificat was written in Leipzig for the 1723 Christmas Vespers, the original version being in E-flat and including several additional Christmas texts. He later revised it, making it suitable for use throughout the year and transposing it into D, a much brighter and more satisfactory key – for the trumpets in particular.

Cantamus, the highly-regarded London-based chamber choir and orchestra, founded by its Director Dr Peter Macdonald in 1959, has built a reputation over the years for its interpretations of many well-loved works, such as Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Haydn's Creation. It recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a superlative London choral concert of Handel's Messiah.

Patron: Dr Stephen P Castell CITP, aka Leo King.
President: Geoffrey Horsnell MSc DipIC BSc