This was truly a night of choral and instrumental splendor honouring the spirit of Bach and Handel and baroque music generally while celebrating the vital work of Australia’s leading early music ensemble. Under Dyer’s vision, the Brandenburg orchestral program has aimed to grow the audience for early music and deepen public understanding of the genre. By balancing very accessible works from the canon with illuminating explorations of different styles and lesser-known gems, this concert offered both familiarity and discovery. The concert goer was generously supported by comprehensive and informative program notes, guiding appreciation of the rich historical and musical context of each piece.
At the heart of this excellence stood the elegant figure of Paul Dyer, conducting with authority from the harpsichord. As Artistic Director of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra for 36 years he has built one of Australia’s most distinctive musical institutions and is a leading voice in the early music revival. Inspired by pioneers like the legendary Dutch musician Gustav Leonhardt, the Orchestra’s performances on period instruments with smaller ensembles recapture the clarity, colour, and intimacy of the music’s original liturgical and courtly contexts.
Both Bach and Handel rose to prominence as masterful choir directors: Bach served as Thomaskantor and music director at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig for nearly three decades, while Handel held the prestigious post of Kapellmeister at the court of the Elector of Hanover before conquering London’s musical scene.
Bach’s three church cantatas — Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 140), Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (BWV 147), and Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir (BWV 29) gain here a vibrant second life as concert works in the classical repertoire. The distinctive woodwind section — oboes and flutes, a hallmark of early music that traces its lineage back to the ancient wind instruments of pre-historical times – added its uniquely pastoral quality to the well known melody more commonly known as ”Jesu, joy of man’s desiring”. The congregation of St. Thomas’ church in Leipzig would surely have been astonished to witness the transformation of their Sunday liturgical music performed with such exquisite technical skill and artistry by choir and orchestra, turning sacred devotion into a profound and subtle exploration of musical textures and vocal precision.
The program was further enriched by Bach’s ever-popular Concerto for Two Violins in D minor (BWV 1043), showcasing principal violinists Shaun Lee-Chen and Ben Dollman — both drawn from the orchestra’s own ranks — as soloists. Their seamless interweaving in the tender slow movement gave way to buoyant, shared melodies in the lively finale, delivered with great energy and vitality by the orchestra.
After the interval, the natural horns, whose bold calls once signalled the start of the hunt, took centre stage in Johann David Heinichen’s vibrant Concerto in F major, S.234 (Concerto con Corni da Caccia). The two baroque horns without valves, played by Michael Dixon and Doree Dixon, demanded exceptional skill and musicality from these orchestral performers.
Handel’s magnificent Coronation Anthems — Zadok the Priest (HWV 258) and The King Shall Rejoice (HWV 260) — brought the evening to a rousing close. The Brandenburg Choir (just 18 voices) and Orchestra performed in flawless unison, allowing every part to be heard with wonderful clarity which particularly highlighted the striking power of Handel’s writing for the alto line. These works powerfully recall the royal spectacle that defined the lifeworld of both Handel and Bach, who relied on aristocratic patronage to compose and present their music. Every item in the performance received an enthusiastic reception from an attentive audience, who finally demonstrated their foot stomping unreserved appreciation of a wonderful evening of music at its best.
Program
BACH Concerto for two violins in D minor, BWV 1043
BACH Excerpts from Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147
BACH Excerpts from Wir Danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29
TELEMANN Overture in D major, TWV 55:18
HANDEL Coronation Anthem No. 1, Zadok the Priest, HWV 258
HANDEL Coronation Anthem No. 3, The King shall rejoice, HWV 260
Choral Splendour
Friday, 10 April, 7:00pm
Saturday, 11 April, 2:00pm
Saturday, 11 April, 7:00pm
Tuesday, 14 April, 7:00pm
Wednesday, 15 April, 7:00pm
City Recital Hall
