Eternity, you Word of Thunder
Sunday 7 June 2026, 16:00
St Paul's Winchester, SO22 5AB
Bach Winchester Voices & Orchestra
Andrew Hayman, director
Jessie Edgar, soprano
Tamsin Jones, alto
Maurice Cole, tenor
Michael Craddock, bass
Programme
BWV 20: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort (cantata)
BWV 10: Meine Seel erhebt den Herren (cantata)
BWV 176.1: Es ist ein trotzig und verzagt Ding (cantata, opening chorus)
BWV 1068.3: Orchestral Suite III in D major - Gavottes
BWV 75: Die Elenden sollen essen (cantata)
Join us in the safety of St Paul’s Winchester to hear three exciting Bach cantatas and an additional opening chorus rage all around you. Beyond the thunderous rumble of the bass, the storm of the professional period band and luminous trumpets of lightning, the Bach Winchester Voices will sing out their exciting semiquavers. When the clouds part, the sound of our star soloists will brightly shine through. An evening of Lutheran texts, fierce and joyful, brilliantly set to music by grandmaster Bach and directed by Andrew Hayman. This concert is organised with the Friends of Music in Winchester.
Sonn und Schild
Sunday 1 February 2026, 16:00
St Paul's Winchester, SO22 5AB
Bach Winchester Voices & Orchestra
Andrew Hayman, director
Jessie Edgar, soprano
Tamsin Jones, alto
Sebastian Hill, tenor
John Johnston, bass (replacing Ben Hendry-Watkins)
Programme
BWV 79: Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild (cantata)
BWV 1068.2: Orchestral Suite III in D major - Air on the G string
BWV 1149: Der Gerechte kömmt um (motet)
BWV 248: Christmas Oratorio part IV
BWV 40: Darzu ist erschienen (cantata)
The new year starts with a brassy glow – the Bach Winchester Voices, directed by Andrew Hayman, bring three Bach cantatas with horns in the orchestra. In the texts we slay the serpent, honour God as our sun and shield, and celebrate New Year’s Day – all with an impressive line-up of soloists and a professional period band. While the horn players catch their breath, the choir sings the moving motet Der Gerechte, and the orchestra reinterprets the famous Air on the G String. The concert is in support of Gift of Sight.
Wachet auf!
Sunday 7 December 2025, 16:00
St Peter's Stockbridge, SO20 6HE
Bach Winchester Voices & Orchestra
Andrew Hayman, director
Katharine Fuge, soprano
Peter Hicks, alto (replacing Tamsin Jones)
Sebastian Hill, tenor | Evangelist
Ben Hendry-Watkins, baritone
Programme
BWV 140: Wachet auf! (cantata)
BWV 1068.2: Orchestral Suite III in D major - Air on the G string
BWV 1149: Der Gerechte kömmt um (motet)
BWV 248: Christmas Oratorio parts II and V
The Bach Winchester Voices make their Stockbridge Music debut with an exciting Christmas programme of music by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Rejoice, Joyful Voices!
Sunday 7 September 2025, 15:45
St Paul's Winchester, SO22 5AB
Bach Winchester Voices & Orchestra
Andrew Hayman, director
Maryam Wocial, soprano
Tamsin Jones, alto
Sebastian Hill, tenor
Ben Hendry-Watkins, baritone
Programme
BWV 30: Freue dich, erlöste Schar (cantata)
BWV 34: O ewiges Feuer (cantata)
BWV 120: Gott, man lobet dich (cantata)
The Bach Winchester Voices, directed by Andrew Hayman, team up with four outstanding soloists and a professional period band to perform three glorious cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach. To add a golden glow and a deep exciting rumble to the singers’ joyful voices, all cantatas feature triumphant trumpets and tittilating timpani. Join us for a jubilant and festive afternoon!
Bread of Life
Sunday 15 June 2025, 15:45
St Mary's Crawley, SO21 2PZ
Bach Winchester Voices & Orchestra
Andrew Hayman, director
Daisy Livesey, soprano
Tamsin Jones, alto
Albert Soriano, tenor
John Johnston, bass
Programme
BWV 7: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam (cantata)
BWV 39: Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot (cantata)
BWV 180: Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele (cantata)
St John Passion
Monday 14 April 2025, 19:00
Winchester College Chapel, SO23 9NA
Bach Winchester Voices & Orchestra
Andrew Hayman, director
Sebastian Hill, tenor | Evangelist
Malachy Frame, baritone | Jesus
Ben Hendry-Watkins, baritone | Pilate
Programme
BWV 245: St John Passion
Bach’s St John Passion paints a vivid musical picture of the days surrounding Christ‘s crucifixion. It conveys the testimony of the disciple John, translated by Martin Luther and set to a series of exquisite recitatives. There are regular interjections from the choir in the guise of various crowds, while stunning arias and reflective chorales provide moments of contemplation. The colourful orchestral accompaniment completes the scene. Bach’s masterpiece premiered over 300 years ago but continues to impress and move musicians and audiences alike with its timeless story of sacrifice and salvation. The concert is in support of the Southampton Centre for Cancer Immunology.
Bread of Life
Sunday 9 March 2025, 18:00
St Mary-at-Hill, London, EC3R 8EB
Bach Winchester Voices & Orchestra
Barbara Höfling, director
Katharine Fuge, soprano
Tamsin Jones, alto
Archie Inns, tenor
Ben Hendry-Watkins, baritone
Programme
BWV 4: Christ lag in Todesbanden (cantata)
BWV 38: Aus tiefer Not (cantata)
BWV 68: Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt (cantata)
BWV 180.7: Jesu, wahres Brot des Lebens (cantata, closing chorale)
Christmas Oratorio
Sunday 19 January 2025, 16:00
St Paul's Winchester, SO22 5AB
Bach Winchester Voices & Orchestra
Andrew Hayman, director
Jemima Price, soprano
Joy Sutcliffe, mezzo-soprano
Sebastian Hill, tenor | Evangelist
Ben Hendry-Watkins, baritone
Programme
BWV 248: Christmas Oratorio parts III – VI
The Bach Winchester Voices and Orchestra, directed by Andrew Hayman, present J.S. Bach’s extraordinary musical interpretation of the Christmas story. The adoration of the shepherds, the naming of Jesus, the journey of the Magi and their worship of Christ are recounted in the form of solos, choirs and chorales, with Sebastian Hill in the role of the Evangelist. The arias are voiced by soprano Jemima Price, mezzo-soprano Joy Sutcliffe and baritone Benjamin Watkins. The concert is organised in cooperation with Gift of Sight which funds world-class research into the prevention and treatment of blindness.
St John Passion
Friday 29 March 2024, 19:00
Winchester College Chapel, SO23 9NA
Bach Winchester Voices
Musica Poetica
Andrew Hayman, director
Sebastian Hill, tenor | Evangelist
Alex Bower-Brown, baritone | Jesus
Ben Hendry-Watkins, baritone | Pilate
Programme
BWV 245: St John Passion
Bach’s St John Passion combines the words of an ageing eye-witness of Jesus’ crucifixion, reflecting on what must have been the most influential event of his lifetime, with music by a deeply Lutheran composer to whom the Reformation will have given these words new urgency and depth. The narrative, taken from the German Luther Bible, is attributed to the apostle John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. Bach set his testimony to exquisite recitatives which our soloists will interpret for you, with regular interjections from the choir in the guise of various crowds. The stunning arias and reflective chorales, based on hymns familiar in Bach’s time, provide moral summaries of the events. With its colourful orchestral accompaniment, Bach’s St John Passion paints an expressive and immediate picture of Jesus’ last few days, conveying the anger, fear, resignation and joy in the various voices – and once again impressing and moving the listener with this timeless story of sacrifice and salvation. The chorus Ruht wohl, almost at the end of the passion, is famously hard to sing, not for technical but for emotional reasons.
Christmas Oratorio
Sunday 7 January 2024, 15:45
St Paul's Winchester, SO22 5AB
Crawley Bachistas & Orchestra
Crawley Bachistas
Andrew Hayman, director
Programme
BWV 248: Christmas Oratorio parts I, III and V
Mass in B Minor
Saturday 9 July 2022, 16:30
St John the Evangelist Oxford, OX4 1EH
Crawley Bachistas & Orchestra
Crawley Bachistas
Oxford Bach Soloists
Tom Hammond-Davies, director
Melissa Talbot, soprano
Jessica Gillingwater, alto
Sebastian Hill, tenor
Ben Hendry-Watkins, baritone
Programme
BWV 232: Mass in B Minor
Bach's Mass in B Minor (BWV 232) performed with the Oxford Bach Soloists and directed by Tom Hammond-Davies – the spectacular result of a week-long workshop with the Crawley Bachistas.
Bach weekends
In addition to these concerts, there have been 21 "Bach weekends" ending with an informal sing-through, usually at St Mary's Church in Crawley – but once in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, with Bach's spirit listening in! For details of these sing-thoughs, click the "Show weekends" link below. A list of all Bach works that were covered over the years is available on the Repertoire page.
Sunday 27 October 2024
Thomaskirche, Leipzig
Barbara Höfling, director
BWV 227: Jesu, meine Freude (motet)
BWV 1164: Ich lasse dich nicht (motet)
Kuhnau: Tristis est anima mea
Sunday 22 September 2024
St Mary's Crawley
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 96: Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn (cantata)
BWV 235: Lutheran Mass in G minor
BWV 236: Lutheran Mass in G major
Sunday 29 October 2023
St Mary Abchurch, London
Barbara Höfling, director
BWV 228: Fürchte dich nicht (motet)
BWV 229: Komm, Jesu, komm (motet)
BWV 230: Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (motet)
Sunday 3 September 2023
St Paul's Winchester
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 19: Es erhub sich ein Streit (cantata)
BWV 50: Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft (cantata)
BWV 147: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (cantata)
Sunday 5 March 2023
St Mary's Crawley
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 92: Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn (cantata)
BWV 126: Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort (cantata)
BWV 140: Wachet auf! (cantata)
BWV 144: Nimm, was dein ist, und gehe hin (cantata)
Sunday 15 January 2023
St Mary Abchurch, London
Barbara Höfling, director
BWV 225: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (motet)
BWV 226: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf (motet)
BWV 227: Jesu, meine Freude (motet)
Sunday 20 November 2022
St Mary's Crawley
Jamal Sutton, director
BWV 46: Schauet doch und sehet, ob irgend ein Schmerz sei (cantata)
BWV 102: Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben (cantata)
BWV 198: Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl (cantata)
Sunday 21 August 2022
St Mary's Crawley
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 23: Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn (cantata)
BWV 39: Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot (cantata)
BWV 131: Aus der Tiefen (cantata)
BWV 1149: Der Gerechte kömmt um (motet)
Sunday 5 January 2020
St Mary's Crawley
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 3: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid (cantata)
BWV 14: Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit (cantata)
BWV 65: Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen (cantata)
BWV 248: Christmas Oratorio part IV
Sunday 28 April 2019
St Mary's Crawley
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 1: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (cantata)
BWV 28: Gottlob! nun geht das Jahr zu Ende (cantata)
BWV 182: Himmelskönig, sei willkommen (cantata)
Sunday 6 January 2019
St Mary's Crawley
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 248: Christmas Oratorio
Sunday 2 September 2018
St Mary's Crawley
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 25: Es ist nichts Gesundes an meinem Leibe (cantata)
BWV 39: Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot (cantata)
BWV 78: Jesu, der du meine Seele (cantata)
BWV 121: Christum wir sollen loben schon (cantata)
BWV 159: Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem (cantata)
Sunday 8 April 2018
St Mary's Crawley
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 22: Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe (cantata)
BWV 23: Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn (cantata)
BWV 127: Herr Jesu Christ, wahr Mensch und Gott (cantata)
BWV 150: Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich (cantata)
BWV 158: Der Friede sei mit dir (cantata)
BWV 159: Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem (cantata)
Sunday 14 January 2018
St Peter's Stockbridge
Peter Foggitt, director
BWV 63: Christen, ätzet diesen Tag (cantata)
BWV 248: Christmas Oratorio
Sunday 13 August 2017
St Mary's Crawley
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 34: O ewiges Feuer (cantata)
BWV 74: Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten (cantata)
BWV 101: Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott (cantata)
BWV 131: Aus der Tiefen (cantata)
BWV 172: Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten! (cantata)
Sunday 4 June 2017
St Mary's Crawley
Peter Foggitt, director
BWV 11: Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen (cantata)
BWV 37: Wer da gläubet und getauft wird (cantata)
BWV 43: Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen (cantata)
BWV 128: Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein (cantata)
Sunday 8 January 2017
St Mary's Crawley
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 64: Sehet, welch eine Liebe (cantata)
BWV 72: Alles nur nach Gottes Willen (cantata)
BWV 191: Gloria in excelsis Deo (cantata)
Sunday 31 July 2016
St Mary's Crawley
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 36: Schwingt freudig euch empor (cantata)
BWV 61: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (cantata)
BWV 62: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (cantata)
BWV 106: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (cantata)
Sunday 1 November 2015
St Mary's Crawley
Timothy Parsons, director
BWV 10: Meine Seel erhebt den Herren (cantata)
BWV 23: Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn (cantata)
BWV 24: Ein ungefärbt Gemüte (cantata)
BWV 39: Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot (cantata)
BWV 198: Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl (cantata)
Sunday 16 August 2015
St Mary's Crawley
Andrew Hayman, director
BWV 12: Weinen, klagen, sorgen, zagen (cantata)
BWV 118: O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht (cantata)
BWV 131: Aus der Tiefen (cantata)
BWV 182: Himmelskönig, sei willkommen (cantata)
BWV 196: Der Herr denket an uns (cantata)
Sunday 22 February 2015
St Mary's Crawley
Timothy Parsons, director
BWV 4: Christ lag in Todesbanden (cantata)
BWV 105: Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht (cantata)
BWV 131: Aus der Tiefen (cantata)
Buxtehude: Membra Jesu nostri
