After January 2016’s sell-out concert featuring the first half of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Summertown Choral Society performed the second half of this lovely work, originally written for the new year up to Epiphany in 1735, in February 2017. Once again, we were joined by baroque specialists Instruments of Time and Truth and by four of the UK’s finest young soloists, including Louise Wayman (soprano) and Alexander Chance (countertenor).

‘Lobet den Herrn’ (‘Praise the Lord, all ye nations’) is one of Bach’s famous set of six motets and represents four-part choral writing at its best. Completing the programme was ‘Ad ubera portabimini’ from Buxtehude’s extraordinary collection of cantatas Membra Jesu nostri (‘The limbs of our Jesus’). Bach walked 260 miles from Arnstadt to Lobeck to meet the Danish-German Buxtehude and to hear him play; we were delighted that many journeyed from all around to enjoy our performance of these two composers’ wonderful music.