Bach's Magnificat

Vox Luminis has been a longstanding favourite at the Muziekgebouw, and justifiably so. They perform centuries-old pieces with exceptionally pure harmony and a vibrant energy, as if they were composed only yesterday. Last year they gave an impressive Christmas concert with music by Handel. Now they are building on that success with two masterpieces by Bach. The cantata Christen, ätzet diesen Tag held particular significance for Bach: he performed it for his first Christmas as musical director of the Thomaskirche (St. Thomas Church) in Leipzig. In that same year he arranged his own Magnificat into a special Christmas version, by changing the instrumentation and adding German Christmas carols, so-called lauds. This special version is rarely performed, so it is a real treat that Vox Luminis presents it.