St George’s German Lutheran Church will host an exhibition on German Protestants in Great Britain.

St George’s German Lutheran Church, 55 Alie Street, London E1 8EB

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Reformation, the German Protestants congregations in London are planning a series of events and an exhibition named '500 Years of German Protestants in Britain' at St George's  German Lutheran Church, opening on selected days between 6 September and 5 November and including a chamber concert on 8 October. 

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS 

All events take place in St George’s (55 Alie Street, London E1 8EB) and begin at 6 pm. Entry is free although advance registration may be required.

6 September : Professor Lyndal Roper, "Celebrating Luther". Please register for a free ticket here.

13 September : Professor Alexander Schunka, "Pastors, Scholars, Beggars: German Protestant Travellers and Migrants in England prior to the Hanoverian Succession"

4 October : Dr William O’Reilly, "Strangers, Subjects, Citizens: Changing Attitudes to Immigrants in 17th and 18th-century England" 

8 October : The Bach Choir from Hannover, "Peace on Earth" - a capella concert featuring Bach, Brahms and Schönberg 

11 October : Dr Keith Clements, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Enduring Legacy in Britain"

25 October : Rudolf Muhs, "In the Shadow of the Third Reich: German Protestants in Britain, 1931–1953"

1 November : Hans-Christoph Rieger (with Eva Rieger and Renate Schumacher, née Rieger), "Growing up in Wartime and Postwar Britain as Children of a German Protestant Clergyman"

http://www.stgeorgesgermanchurch.org.uk

 

55 Alie Street, London E1 8EB

This mini-exhibition within the beautiful library at Pusey House uses contemporary printed books, manuscripts and artefacts to look at how the Tractarians reconciled their Catholic Anglican faith with the Reformation of the 15th and 16th centuries, and how the Oxford Movement itself created a new Reformation within the Church of England in the 19th century.

Pusey House Library, 61 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LZ

We begin in September with an historical overview of Europe in 1517 in seeking to explain why events occurred as they did. This will be provided by Professor John Morrill. Each subsequent month there will be a talk by a representative of a different Christian Church with their view of what is important to them today in their respective traditions and how they presently give witness to Jesus. The series end with an 'ecumenical end of term party' next June to celebrate what we do hold in common.

Ealing Abbey, Marchwood Cresent, Ealing. W5 2DZ

BACHFES T 2017 “Bach and Luther: Masters and Servants”

14 October – 10 November 2017

Saturday 14 October from 2.30pm-4.30pm  Gresham Centre, Gresham Street EC2    

“All that have voice…”

“ The Tenebrae Effect” ,   a community choral workshop on motets by Bach and Schütz with members of Tenebrae  directed by the choir’s founder Nigel Short .   The motets to be studied, sung and enjoyed are 1st and last chorale “ Jesu, meine Freude ” BWV 227,  the 1st chorus of “ Komm, Jesu, komm ” BWV 229, and the motet “Das ist je gewißlich wahr” SWV 277 by Heinrich Schütz.

T ickets £15.00 . Students £5 (Full-time: Bring ID). Music provided.  To reserve your place and tell us which voice (SATB): Call and have your card handy (Visa/MasterCard accepted). Early reservation advised.

Gresham Centre is just 5 minutes’ walk from St Paul’s tube on Central Line

6th Bach Singers Prize Competition – Bach Master Class

• Monday 23 October from 4.15pm  St George’s Church Hanover Square London W1 

This will be led by Ian Partridge CBE    “The Art of Singing Bach Recitatives”

         Observer tickets £5  on sale at the door.

• Tuesday 24 October at 7.00pm  BACH SINGERS PRIZE – THE SEMI FINAL   St George’s Church, Hanover Square London W1

The Semi Finalists will each perform a recitative and an aria from  Bach Passion (St Matthew Passion or St John Passion)

       Tickets £10 available by post, by phone, or at the door from 6.30pm. Full-time Students admitted Free of Charge – please bring student ID.

Click on the link to book  http://www.bachlive.co.uk/2017-bachfest/bachfest-2017-our-events/bachfest-booking-2017/

St George’s Church Hanover Square is 5-10 Minutes’ walk from Oxford Circus tube on Victoria/Central/Bakerloo lines.

• Friday 27 October at 7.15pm    BACH SINGERS PRIZE – THE FINAL                          St Bartholomew-the-Great, West Smithfield EC1

The Finalists will each perform an all-Bach programme of their own devising with the SBP. They are invited to introduce their programmes and will be interviewed after their performances.

The presentation of the Prizes will follow the Jury’s decision

Steinitz Bach Players directed by Anthony Robson.

The Jury: Jessica Duchen , Ian Partridge CBE, Stephen Roberts, Anthony Robson

Tickets:  £20, £15, Student FestPass £5, available from LBS – online, by post, by phone or at the door from 6.30pm.  All seats are unreserved.

Click on the link to book http://www.bachlive.co.uk/2017-bachfest/bachfest-2017-our-events/bachfest-booking-2017/

St Bartholomew-the-Great is approximately 5-10 minutes’ walk from St Paul’s tube on Central Line or 5 minutes’ walk from Barbican tube on Circle and Metropolitan/Hammersmith lines

Monday 30 October 7.30pm   St John’s Smith Square, London SW1

  Tenebrae Choir

Described as “ phenomenal ” (The Times) and “devastatingly beautiful” (Gramophone Magazine). Renowned for its passion and precision.

“All that have voice”  with Tenebrae, Steinitz Bach Players leader Rodolfo Richter , director Nigel Short

This concert marks 500th anniversary of Luther’s Reformation

Max Reger   Motet “ Der Mensch lebt und bestehet ” Op. 138 No.1   Joh. Seb. Bach  Motet “ Jesu, meine Freude ” BWV 227  Heinrich Schütz  Motet “ Das ist je gewißlich wahr ” SWV 277  Joh. Seb. Bach   Motet ” Komm, Jesu, komm ” BWV 229    Max Reger  Motet “ Nachtlied ” Op.138 No.3  Joh. Seb. Bach   Lutheran Mass in F BWV 233,   Joh. Seb. Bach  Motet “ Singet dem Herrn ” BWV 225

Tickets: £30, £25, £20, £15 from The Box Office at St John’s, or www.sjss.org.uk

St John’s Smith Square is approximately 10 minutes’ walk from Westminster tube on the Jubilee/Circle/District lines

Thursday 2 November at 7.30pm  Wax Chandlers Hall, 6 Gresham St, EC2

“Heaven is at Hand”  

The German Lute from Luther to Bach

Elizabeth Kenny renaissance and baroque lutes

Martin Luther decided to learn the lute in 1503.  His and many other households regularly gathered to sing sacred melodies and psalms as a family group. But another way of reflecting on sacred texts was to be found under the fingertips.  Luther’s contemporaries Hans Gerle and Hans Neusidler turned chorale melodies into lute pieces with the same freedom and sense of ownership with which they set famous secular madrigals and chansons: singing the words in one’s head while playing alone.  This programme explores the works of the players Luther admired, as well as the composers – such as Josquin – from whom they borrowed.   It is also an exceptional treat to hear one of the great exponents on the Lute today perform rarely heard music in the intimate salon of Wax Chandlers Hall, the Livery Hall of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers (Candlemakers) in the City of London.

Tickets: £25, £20, Student FestPass £5  available from LBS – online, by post, by phone or at the door from 6.30pm.  All seats are unreserved

Click on the link to book http://www.bachlive.co.uk/2017-bachfest/bachfest-2017-our-events/bachfest-booking-2017/

Wax Chandlers Hall is 5 minutes’ walk from St Paul’s tube on Central Line.

Friday 3 November at 7.45pm  Gresham Centre, Gresham Street EC2

18-30 Bach Club concert

Open Platform       Artists & programme to be announced

Following in the footsteps of Bach, the Club is inspired by the Friday evening concerts the composer devised and performed with his students at Zimmermann’s Coffee House in Leipzig’s fashionable Katharinenstrasse. The programme will be devised and presented by some of today’s rising stars, followed by social networking and friend-making time.

Tickets Free for 18-30s, £10.00 all others.  Advance booking, free tickets or purchased, is advised or at the door from 7.15pm.

http://www.bachlive.co.uk/2017-bachfest/bachfest-2017-our-events/bachfest-booking-2017/

Gresham Centre is just 5 minutes’ walk from St Paul’s tube on the Central Line

Wednesday 8 November at 7.30pm   Wax Chandlers Hall, 6, Gresham Street, EC2

“At home with Bach” 

Steinitz Bach Players Chamber Ensemble  Elizabeth Walker and Christine Garrett flutes, Anthony Robson oboe & recorder, Andrew Skidmore cello, Alastair Ross harpsichord

One of Luther’s priorities was that music should be played in the home as well as in church. Following in the Reformer’s footsteps, Bach also made music at home with his family and students.  In this specially curated programme by Anthony Robson, members of Steinitz Bach Players pay homage to Luther and Bach as Masters and Servants, introduce and perform chamber and solo harpsichord works by Bach and by his close friend the prolific composer Georg Philipp Telemann . whose 250th anniversary falls this year. Once again we are in the intimate setting of the 18th century-style  Salon at Wax Chandlers Hall.

Tickets: £20,  Student FestPass £5 , available online, by post, by phone or at the door from 6.45pm.

Click on the link to book:   http://www.bachlive.co.uk/2017-bachfest/bachfest-2017-our-events/bachfest-booking-2017/

Wax Chandlers Hall is 5 minutes’ walk from St Paul’s tube on Central Line.

Friday 10 November at 7.00pm   Closing Bachfest Concert at Temple Church, Inner Temple Lane, Temple, EC4

“Bach on Luther’s Birthday”

  Jane Gordon

Steinitz Bach Players directed by Jane Gordon violin,  Rowan Pierce soprano, Anthony Robson & Rachel Beckett recorders

Rowan Pierce

An extraordinary musician at a Princely Court

In August 1717, Bach was put on the payroll of the highly musical, but Calvinist, Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen and took up his appointment at the Princely Court in December that year. Working at Court was a significant staging post on the career-path of composers and the Lutheran Bach struck up a warm friendship with his patron despite their worshipping in different places! To close Bachfest, we take a peek at Cöthen, pay tribute to Luther and look forward to next year and SBPs 50th celebrated at Bachfest 2018. There is more to this orchestra than meets the eye!   The programme : -

• Telemann   “ Ouverture des Nations anciens et modernes”  TWV 55   Telemann
• Bach  Solo Cantata “Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten” BWV 202, composed for a wedding  
• Telemann Violin Concerto in A minor TWV 51 
• Bach Brandenburg Concerto No 4 in G  BWV 1049  
• Bach Chorale with audience from Reformation Cantata BWV 80 

Tickets: £25, £20, £15, Student FestPass £5  available from LBS online, by post, by phone or at the door from 6.30pm.

We hope to organise a post concert reception or supper. Details and booking - coming soon.

Click on the link to book: http://www.bachlive.co.uk/2017-bachfest/bachfest-2017-our-events/bachfest-booking-2017/

Temple Church is 10 minutes’ walk from Temple and Blackfriars stations on the Circle and District lines.  The best access is from Fleet Street via Middle Temple Lane (the church is signposted)

Click on the link to read more about Martin Luther and how Bach’s life and work fits in   http://www.bachlive.co.uk/2017-bachfest/martin-luther-theologian-reformer-musician/

London

An evening presentation at Christ Church Esher on Monday 23 October at 7.15-8.45pm

On 31st October exactly 500 years ago, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg and set in train the Protestant Reformation, which had a profound effect on the course of European history.  The Reformation also influenced our music and culture in numerous ways which still resonate to the present day.

As our principal contribution to these anniversary celebrations, we are pleased to be hosting the renowned church musician Philip Norman, who will give an illustrated talk on musical history as seen through the prism of the Reformation.  His wide-ranging presentation will include a wealth of visually arresting images and recorded musical examples, making full use of our church's new audio-visual system.
This talk will be of interest not only to singers and church musicians but to anyone who wants to be better informed about the place of music in our worship traditions.  

Light refreshments will be served. Free admission. Retiring collection

For further information contact the Parish Office.

Tel:

Email:

Website:

7.15-8.45pm Christ Church, Church Street, Esher, Surrey KT10 8QS

Henrike Lähnemann, Chair of Medieval German Literature and Linguistics and Fellow of St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford Wednesday, 25 October 2017 at 5pm in the Shulman Theatre, The Queen’s College, followed by Evensong at 6.30 with hymns from Coverdale’s hymnbook 2017 sees the 500th anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses which set in motion the German Reformation. Its rapid spread was based on the successful combination of three key activities: singing, translating, and singing. The Queen’s College Library holds a unique object which brings these three key themes together: the only surviving copy of the first printed hymnbook, Miles Coverdale’s Goostly psalmes and spirituall songes drawen out of the holy Scripture, for the comforte and consolacyon of soch as loue to reioyse in God and his Worde (The Queen’s College Library, shelf mark Sel.d.81(4)). In the lecture, Henrike Lähnemann will provide a hands-on (and voice-on) exploration of the new genre of the Protestant hymn book. The talk is part of the programme of the ‘Workshop for Manuscript and Text Cultures’ (WMTC) at The Queen’s College; it will be followed by Evensong in chapel in which some of the hymns from Coverdale’s hymnbook will feature. ALL WELCOME

Shulman Theatre, The Queen’s College, High Street, OX1 4AW OX1 4AW

Professor David Fergusson, Principal of New College, the School of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh, will give a lecture on the theme “What does it mean to be Reformed today?” at St Columba’s Church of Scotland, Pont Street, London, SW1X 0BD, at 1:15pm.

1:15pm St Columba’s Church of Scotland, Pont Street, London SW1X 0BD,

Music-at-Hill Concert Society invites you to the opening event in its Reformation 500 festival, 'The Yes of the Heart'. This special lunchtime concert will feature Imperial College Chamber Choir and GMT Brass Ensemble with organist Stuart Whatton, performing Benjamin Culli's "Reformation Suite" and a selection of anthems and motets by Reformation-influenced composers. The performance starts at 1.05 pm and will last around three-quarters of an hour. A wine reception will follow the concert. Free admission, retiring collection. The interesting and informative 'Here I Stand' series of 28 posters about Luther, the Reformation and Protestantism will be on display in the church, and there will also be an informal table sale of Luther-related memorabilia.

St Mary-at-Hill Church, Lovat Lane (off Eastcheap), London EC3R 8EE EC3R 8EE

To mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, which began in October 1517, Glastonbury Abbey in association with Strode College’s History, Heritage and Archaeology Degree Programme is hosting a prestigious one-day public conference. Eight expert speakers, including some of the country’s leading historians, will tell the remarkable story of the Reformation and its impact on Europe over three dramatic centuries. The ticket includes lunch served in a marquee in the Abbey grounds and free access to the Abbey throughout the day.

GLASTONBURY TOWN HALL, Magdalene Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 9EL

The InSpiRe Centre for Initiatives in Spirituality and Reconciliation based at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, and the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Centre London are delighted to announce
Bonhoeffer and Reformation
A day conference from 10am-5.30pm examining the relation between different Christian communities and the work of the Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer for the Quincentenary of the Protestant Reformation

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a protestant pastor and theologian, but he is widely read and appreciated across denominational boundaries. He was himself an important contributor to the early ecumenical movement, and faced controversy through bringing forms of religious life and spiritual practices back to the Protestant fold in the mid-1930s. Some have even called Bonhoeffer a Christian martyr; perhaps a precursor for what Pope Francis recently described as an “ecumenism of blood”.
Please join us as we seek to explore Bonhoeffer as a reformer of his own and other Christian traditions, to investigate different interpretations of his work from different ecclesial perspectives, and to celebrate the life of a man who continues to offer a powerful witness to all Christian believers.
Confirmed Speakers:
Prof Philip Ziegler, University of Aberdeen
Dr Keith Clements, author of Bonhoeffer’s Ecumenical Quest, WCC Publications, 2015
Dr Rachel Muers, University of Leeds

Tickets for this conference are £35 and can be  booked online . A concession rate of £20 is also available students, the elderly and unemployed.

 

10am-5.30pm at St Mary's University, Twickenham TW1 4SX

Wesley Methodist Church in Cambridge presents a number of special Reformation 500 events this year. 

On Reformation Sunday 29 October at 10.30am service and Church Anniversary. Preacherr will be Revd the Lord Griffith of Burry Port of Wesley Chapel, London.  

Further detalis:  http://www.wesleycam.org.uk

Christ's Piece, Cambridge CB1 1Lg

For the 500th anniversary of the foundation of the Reformation, the City Bach Collective perform JS Bach's cantata 'Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott', BWV 80, the Motet Lobet den Herrn BWV 230 & the Sinfonia from cantata BWV 42 as well as other baroque music from Bach's time in a service of Lutheran Vespers with St. Anne's Lutheran Church. St Anne's Lutheran Vespers begin at 6.30pm and last just over an hour. They are free to attend, though you may contribute to a collection during the service. Tea and coffee are available afterwards.

St. Mary-at-Hill, Lovat Lane EC3R 8EE

Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in an ecumenical commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation at Coventry Cathedral on Sunday October 29th at 4 pm.

Our guest speakers will be Bishop William Kenney and Senior Pastor Albrecht Köstlin-Büürma of the Synod of German-speaking churches in Great Britain. Music will be led and performed by the Choir of Beverley Minster.

Coventry Cathedral, St Michael's Avenue, Coventry CV1 5AB

Lecture by Professor Christopher Haigh

Sir Michael Dummett Lecture Theatre, Christ Church, Oxford OX1 1DP

Organist: Robert Dixon Mezzo-soprano: Damaris Rickhaus-Nussbaumer In the historic setting of St Michael at the North Gate, Oxford’s oldest church, Robert Dixon offers an unmissable performance of JS Bach’s monumental Clavier-Übung III – the German Organ Mass. Rarely performed in its entirety, the Clavier-Übung III is Bach’s most significant and ambitious work for the instrument, as well as a personal and profound statement of faith. Published in 1739 to celebrate the bicentennial of Martin Luther’s sermon at Leipzig’s Thomaskirche, the third volume of Bach’s Clavier-Übung (‘Keyboard Practice’) is renowned for its technical and musical complexity. Framed by the majestic Prelude and Fugue in E flat major (BWV 552), the chorale preludes (BWV 669-689) reflect the Lutheran expression of the Christian faith. Bach adopts well-known chorales from Luther’s hymnbook to produce a work of extraordinary variety – with German, Italian and French influences – and deep theological symbolism. This is a fascinating opportunity to hear the Clavier-Übung III – undoubtedly one of Bach’s greatest organ works – uniquely contextualised and illuminated by the chorales which proved its inspiration, performed by mezzo-soprano Damaris Rickhaus-Nussbaumer. 2pm (ends at approximately 3:45pm) FREE ADMISSION BY TICKET ONLY: https://www.oxfordbachsoloists.com/event/german-organ-mass Ticket holders can also enjoy the following events: 4.15pm – 5pm 'Music and the Reformation' – A lecture from Professor Henrike Lähnemann at Cohen Quadrangle, Walton Street, OX1 2HD 6pm – 7pm 'Nun danket alle Gott' Choral Evensong with JS Bach’s Cantata 'Nun danket alle Gott' BWV 192 sung by the Choir of Exeter College Chapel, with the orchestra of Oxford Bach Soloists, conducted by Bartosz Thiede. (Ticketed separately) Exeter College Chapel, Turl Street, OX1 3DP https://www.oxfordbachsoloists.com/event/reformation-500-nun-danket-alle-gott

St Michael at the North Gate, Cornmarket Street, Oxford OX1 3EY

A service of Choral Evensong with a focus on Bach’s Reformation Cantata. Performed by the Choir of Exeter College with the orchestra of the Oxford Bach Soloists, conducted by Bartosz Thiede, this event takes place in the magical surrounding of Exeter College Chapel, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and completed in 1860, and inspired by the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. The original liturgical function of Bach’s chorale cantata Nun danket alle Gott is unknown but it was likely to have been composed in 1730 in Leipzig in a setting of texts by Martin Rinckart. With its opening chorale fantasia, duets for soprano and bass soloist and concluding “rollicking gigue” this is a terrific opportunity to hear this wonderful work in a splendid setting. Preacher: Lars Müller-Marienburg, Bishop of Lower Austria Oxford Bach Soloists' Reformation 500 series is supported by the German Embassy and TORCH. FREE ADMISSION BY TICKET ONLY https://www.oxfordbachsoloists.com/event/reformation-500-nun-danket-alle-gott/ Ticket holders may also enjoy the following events: 2pm – 3.45pm JS Bach’s Clavier-Übung III (German Organ Mass) at St Michael at the North Gate, Oxford, OX1 3EY Ticketed separately. Book free tickets: https://www.oxfordbachsoloists.com/event/german-organ-mass/ 3pm – 5pm Exploring the Reformation: Colloquium An afternoon of talks and discussion exploring the Reformation in the 500th Anniversary year. Led by Exeter College’s Rev’d Andrew Allen (Chaplain and Official Fellow), Dr John Maddicott (Emeritus Fellow in History), and Prof. Dr Henrike Lähnemann (Professor of Medieval and Early Modern German, University of Oxford) at the Cohen Quadrangle, Walton Street, Oxford, OX1 2HD Find out more: http://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/events/reformation-500/ 5pm Refreshments and Exhibition An exhibition of Exeter College’s Reformation holdings will run throughout the afternoon at the Cohen Quadrangle, Walton Street, Oxford, OX1 2HD Find out more: http://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/events/reformation-500/

Exeter College Chapel, Turl Street, Oxford OX1 3DP

A Service to Commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. A Eucharist Service in Aberdeen’s historic ‘Mither Kirk’, the Kirk of St Nicholas, accompanied by the Aberdeen Bach Choir (Bach’s Mass in G) with the Rev Prof Philip Ziegler (University of Aberdeen) preaching. 3pm 29 October.

Union Street, Back Bynd, Schoolhill, Correction Wynd AB10 1LZ

A Service to Commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. A Eucharist Service in Aberdeen’s historic ‘Mither Kirk’, the Kirk of St Nicholas, accompanied by the Aberdeen Bach Choir (Bach’s Mass in G) with the Rev Prof Philip Ziegler (University of Aberdeen) preaching. 3pm 29 October.

Union Street, Back Bynd, Schoolhill, Correction Wynd AB10 1LZ

Wesley Methodist Church in Cambridge presents a number of special Reformation 500 events this year. 

On Monday 30 October at 7.15 for 7.45pm Revd Dr Tim Macquiban of the Methodist Ecumenical Centre in Rome lectures on 'The Word and the Arts: A new Reformation?'. 

Free admission. Further detalis:  http://www.wesleycam.org.uk

Christ's Piece, Cambridge CB1 1LG

Every evening after supper, the Reformer and Theologian Martin Luther would gather his family together to sing motets. Luther also provided a German-texted Mass, chorales, supported congregational and community singing and retained two movements of the Latin Ordinary for Services to create the “Lutheran Mass”. In similar fashion, Bach and his family would make music together at home and in considering the musical needs of the Lutheran Church, the composer provided cantatas, passions, oratorios….and five Lutheran Masses. Our concert to commemorate the Reformation 500th features motets by servants of the Lutheran church: Bach, Heinrich Schütz and Max Reger, plus one of Bach’s settings of the shorter Lutheran Mass, the Mass in F BWV 233, movements of which are reworkings from earlier cantatas. Come and enjoy!

A concert to mark the 500th Anniversary of Luther's Reformation:  "All that have voice...." with Tenebrae Choir, Steinitz Bach Players leader Rodolfo Richter, Nigel Short director

Programme:

• Max Reger: Motet “Der Mensch lebt und bestehet“ Op. 138
• J S Bach: Motet “Jesu, meine Freude” BWV 227
• Heinrich Schütz: Motet: “Das ist je gewißlich wahr“ SWV 277
• J S Bach: Motet “Komm, Jesu, komm” BWV 229
• Max Reger: Motet “Nachtlied” Op. 138
• J S Bach: Lutheran Mass in F BWV 233
• J S Bach: Motet “Singet dem Herrn eine neues Lied” BWV 225

The Date: Monday 30 October 2017, 7.30pm

The Place: St John’s Smith Square, London SW1

Tickets £30, £25, £20, £15 on sale from 10 July 2017 From the Box Office, St John’s Smith Square, or online www.sjss.org.uk

The theme of the whole Bachfest is "Bach and Luther: Masters and Servants". More Bachfest events will be announced on www.bachlive.co.uk

St John's Smith Square, London SW1P 3HA

The 500th anniversary of the symbolic start of the Reformation movement when Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses will be remembered this autumn with a Special Service and Symposium at Westminster Abbey, in partnership with the Council of Lutheran Churches.

The Service to mark the anniversary will held in Westminster Abbey on 31st October at Noon. It will be led by the Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, and the Address will be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby. A new anthem, commissioned for the occasion by Danish composer, Bent Sørensen, will be performed by the Westminster Abbey Special Service Choir. Among those attending will be representatives of Lutheran Churches in the United Kingdom and colleagues from other churches representing the diversity of Christianity.

The service will be followed by ‘Liberated by God’s Grace’: a symposium, from 2.30 pm to 6.00 pm, in St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey.

The symposium will bring together leading academics to analyse the ongoing impact of the Reformation and its effect on subsequent generations, not only for the Church but for social order, identity and culture.  

It will be chaired by the Bishop of Kensington, The Right Reverend Dr Graham Tomlin, with contributors: Professor David Crankshaw, King’s College, London; Professor Eamon Duffy, Magdalene College, Cambridge; The Right Reverend Dr Martin Lind, Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain; Professor Robert Stern, Sheffield University; and Professor Alexandra Walsham, Trinity College, Cambridge.

More information may be found at via www.westminster-abbey.org/reformation   and tickets (FREE) are available for the service (here) and symposium (here) .

 

12 noon Westminster Abbey, London SW1P 3PA

Hereford Diocese has a long-standing Link with the Lutheran Diocese of Nuremberg in Bavaria. Three Bavarian Lutheran ministers have been serving in Hereford Diocese for, added together, ten years. In this church service we want to celebrate our ecumenical friendship and everything that has been achieved in our partnership, at the same time commemorating Luther publishing the 95 Theses at the church gate in Wittenberg. The service will be held in Leominster Priory in the evening of the 31st October, as it is the tradition in most Lutheran Churches, beginning at 7.30 pm. The guest preacher will be Pfarrerin Stefanie Reuther from Nuremberg, who had been serving in Leominster, the service will be led by Pfarrerin Brigitte Malik, in ministry in Ludlow since 2013. Afterwards there will be a good opportunity to talk and share our ecumenical experience and enthusiasm.

Leominster Priory , Church Street, Leominster HR6 8NH

5pm – 6pm in Macgregor Matthews Room, New College, Oxford Guest Speaker: Professor Lyndal Roper, Regius Professor of History author of 'Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet' (2016) 6:15pm – 7:15pm in New College Chapel, Oxford, OX1 3BN JS Bach: Cantata 80 'Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott' (A Mighty Fortress is our God) New College Choir Oxford Bach Soloists Conductor: Paul Brough In collaboration with the Faculties of History, Modern Languages, and Music at the University of Oxford, the orchestra of Oxford Bach Soloists and New College Choir present an authentic recreation of Lutheran Vespers, the context for which JS Bach was writing his cantatas. Vespers is preceded a talk by Professor Lyndal Roper, Regius Professor of History. 'Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott' (Our God is a secure fortress) is a chorale cantata composed for Reformation Day (31 October) based on the famous hymn by Martin Luther. It is scored with great strength: four vocal soloists, a four-part choir and a baroque chamber ensemble of up to three oboes of different kinds, strings and continuo. Musicologists agree that the chorale fantasia is an outstanding composition. The eminent Bach scholar Christoph Wolff writes about the opening chorus: “An immense chorale motet of 228 measures, it is one of Bach’s most elaborate choral compositions and of the most impressive high points in the history of the chorale cantata.” Presented with support from the German Embassy and TORCH. FREE ADMISSION (ticket required) limited availability; first-come first-served. If you are a Friend of Oxford Bach Soloists please write to to reserve.

New College Chapel, Oxford OX1 3BN

Elizabeth Kenny, Renaissance and Baroque Lutes, 7.30pm Tickets £25, £20, (Full-time Student FestPass £5) Martin Luther decided to learn the lute in 1503 and the instrument became an important part of his musical life. Bach too was very familiar with the lute and one of the most prominent players of the day, Sylvius Weiss, was a personal friend. In this recital, Elizabeth explores lute music from Luther to Bach, taking us on a rich journey of musical discovery in the intimate salon of one of London's great Livery Halls.

Wax Chandlers Hall, 6 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7AD

The National Archives is developing a research network to support the work of postgraduate students, early career researchers and scholars who use our Reformation-related collections as part of their research. The inaugural meeting of this research network will take place at a forthcoming conference which will raise awareness of current research into the Reformation using the records of The National Archives .  

This conference is part of a wider Reformation programme being developed at The National Archives. We hold an enormous collection of public records that are critical to illuminating the religious practices and popular piety of the time. To participate in discussions, share knowledge and find out more about our programme, join our .

On 3 and 4 November 2017, The National Archives is running ‘Reformation on the Record’ – a two-day conference which will bring together research, using original records of Church and State from our collection, to explore this period of religious, social and economic turmoil.

This conference is the highlight of our Reformation programme in 2017. It features more than 30 speakers from academic institutions across the UK, the opportunity to participate in workshops involving original records, and a keynote lecture on the topic of ‘The Reformation as Disruption’ to be delivered by Professor Richard Rex (University of Cambridge).

To see the full programme, to find out more about our research network, and to book, please use our Eventbrite page:

To join the conversation on social media use #ReformationOnRec .

The National Archives, Bessant Drive, Richmond TW9 4DU

Open Platform for three new groups playing Bach, Telemann and CPE Bach, including some arias from the cantatas, some chamber music and a complete cantata. For Bach and his students Friday night was concert night. This is the inspiration behind the LBS 18-30 Bach Club for young artists and young audiences. Time: 7.45pm, ends c.9.00pm. Tickets Free 18-30s or £10 all others available in advance or at the door from 7.15pm. All welcome. Part of London Bach Society's Bachfest www.bachlive.co.uk

Gresham Centre (St Anne & St Agnes Lutheran Church), Greshal Street London EC2V 7BX

There have been Lutherans in Northamptonshire for many decades since the end of the Second World War, and they will join together with other Christians in this ecumenical service on 4 November 2017 at 12 noon. The initiative for this commemoration has come from members of the Anglican-Lutheran Society. Preacher will be Rt Rev’d Jana Jeruma-Grinberg (Formerly Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain). The service will be followed by refreshments.

Kingsthorpe Road, Northampton NN2 6AG

A day of talks and conversation to commemorate the Reformation – its history and its challenge
Speakers include:

• Prof Ulinka Rublack,
• The Revd Dr John Bradbury, and
• Dr Gareth Atkins

A light lunch of soup and fruit will be available.
10.00am -5.30pm, concluding at 4.30pm with a concert by
Cambridge Voices and
Erasmus Chamber Choir
including two Bach cantatas

10am - 5.30pm at St Columba's Church, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EL

A 4pm, an ecumenical service with the choir of Girton College, Cambridge, directed by Gareth Wilson.

Preacher:  Revd Dr David Cornick (General Secretary, Churches Together in England)

4pm at St Edward King & Martyr, Peas Hill, Cambridge CB2 3PP

A unique study day led by Bishop Christopher Herbery, art expert, and historian and author Derek Wilson, to explore the history of the English Reformation, its spiritual legacy, and its impact on art. The day will consist of three fascinating illustrated talks by experts.

All are welcome, please register for a free place by emailing

For more information and to register for a free place visit http://www.guildford-cathedral.org/news/2017/reformation-500-study-day . 

Free Parking.

Guildford Cathedral, Stag Hill, Guildford GU2 7UP

The Southwell Lecture will be given by the Rt Rev Dr Graham Tomlin, Bishop of Kensington, a noted scholar of the Reformation Period.

Southwell Minster, Church Street, Southwell NG25 0HD

Steinitz Bach Players directed by Jane Gordon, Rowan Pierce soprano (pictured). 7.00pm. Tickets £25, £20, £15 from www.bachlive.co.uk or call or at the door from 6.30pm Programme to include Bach's 4th Brandenburg Concerto and Cantata for solo soprano "Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten" BWV 202, composed for a Wedding This is the closing concert of the LBS Bachfest, held on Luther's birthday, marking the 300th anniversary of Bach's appointment at Cöthen and Telemann's 250th. To close we are inviting the audience to join us in singing Luther's famous chorale "Eine feste Burg" as set in Bach's cantata BWV 80

Temple Church, London EC4Y 7BB

Music-at-Hill Concert Society invites you to the penultimate event in its Reformation 500 festival, 'The Yes of the Heart'. In a concert of some novelty on Luther’s 534th birthday, a selection of Bach’s chorale preludes for organ will punctuate a programme demonstrating textual and melodic antecedents of the chorale, and displaying some of the ways that these chorales were re-elaborated in the Scandinavian Lutheran tradition. Agnete Christensen and Leah Stuttard will perform with voices, bray harp, Nordic lyres and bells, with Stuart Whatton at the organ. The concert starts at 1.05 pm and will last around three-quarters of an hour. Free admission, retiring collection. The interesting and informative 'Here I Stand' series of 28 posters about Luther, the Reformation and Protestantism will be on display in the church, and there will also be an informal table sale of Luther-related memorabilia.

St Mary-at-Hill, Lovat Lane (off Eastcheap), London EC3R 8EE EC3R 8EE

After the Great Fire of London in 1666 the timber trade between the Kingdom of Norway–Denmark and England grew to great proportions. Many Norwegians settled in London, and they worked hard to get their own church. In 1692 they formed their first  congregation. The first Danish-Norwegian church was consecrated in Wapping in 1696. It was both parish church as well as a seamen’s church for the many Danish and Norwegian sailors arriving on the Thames.  Today, the Norwegian Church is located in St Olav’s Church in Rotherhithe, which was purpose-built as a seamen’s church and opened in 1927.  Nowadays, between 10,000 and 15,000 Norwegians live permanently in London and have their home away from home at St Olav’s, where services are held every Sunday at 11am.

On a summer’s day in 1882 a young Finnish clergyman, his wife, and his baby son arrived in London. Elis Bergroth was the first person sent abroad by the Finnish Seamen’s Mission, as there was a clear need to help Finns who were experiencing problems during their stay in a foreign country. The word of God needed to be proclaimed in the concrete language of deeds. Countless people have since visited and worked at the Finnish Church in London. The Church is full of stories about people getting help, meeting long lost friends and experiencing the miraculous effects of sauna. New stories are created every day. The Church is an important meeting place for Finns living in and visiting the British Isles. The present church building dates from 1958 and is the third Finnish Church in London. It has a church hall, a cafeteria, a shop, a hostel, and a sauna. Holy Mass is held on the first Sunday of each month at 11am mainly in Finnish.

On 12 November 2017 we will be holding a joint Remembrance Sunday service at 10:50am, followed by a fellowship lunch where we look forward to hosting you.

The annual joint Christmas fair will be held in Albion Street the following weekend, 17–19 November 2017.

Please contact us for a PDF or printed hard copy of the brochure "Still Reforming" which has all the events, contact details, and some essays about the anniversary and this ecumenical initiative.

10.50am at St.Olav’s Square, 1 Albion Street, London SE16 7JB

Music-at-Hill Concert Society invites you to the concluding event in its Reformation 500 festival, 'The Yes of the Heart'. Mendelssohn's 'Reformation' Symphony, Op. 107, has enjoyed numerous performances in Germany and the USA during this anniversary year, but surprisingly few in this country, despite featuring in the BBC Proms season. Stuart Whatton has ingeniously arranged the symphony for chamber quintet (flute, violin, viola, cello and piano) and you have a chance to be at the world premiere of his new arrangement of the work! The performers entrusted with this challenge have been drawn from the highly skilled Camerata of London, directed by Chris Brody. The concert starts at 1.05 pm. Free admission, retiring collection. The interesting and informative 'Here I Stand' series of 28 posters about Luther, the Reformation and Protestantism will be on display in the church, and there will also be an informal table sale of Luther-related memorabilia.

St Mary-at-Hill Church, Lovat Lane (off Eastcheap), London EC3R 8EE EC3R 8EE

20 November, 19.30 – 21.00, Hampton Court Palace The Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace hosts an evening of music to mark the 'Luther 500' anniversary. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear specially selected works of sacred music which highlight the impact of the European Reformation on English church music. Tickets: £25 seated / £10 seated with restricted view

Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 9AU

The Parish of the Most Holy Trinity, Dockhead is delighted delighted to welcome newcomers in December 2017 for fellowship and a service remembering events and changes triggered by the Reformation.

The parish finds its origins going back to Bermondsey Abbey pre-dating AD 715.  The First Mission was established in 1773. A chapel was built in 1782. A new church was built in 1835, the first Catholic Church to be built on a main road.  The Sisters of Mercy arrived in 1839 to support and initiate Catholic education for the poor. The Church was destroyed in the bombing of London in 1945, killing three of its priests. Much change was now to come to Bermondsey. The New Church by architect Goodheart-Rendal was consecrated in 1960.

Bermondsey has always had strong Catholic links, particularly with the Irish immigrants.  The Parish suffered in the 1960s and 70s because of many inner-city problems but in the 1990s it took on a new life.  It is now a vibrant, worshipping community, with a regular congregation of up to 500 people each week, sharing Eucharistic worship. The Parish shares an inclusive and international liturgical life based on the Second Vatican liturgical reforms. It has a generous awareness of those around the world who are in need and is always trying to develop strong links with the local community. 

Please contact us for a PDF or printed hard copy of the brochure "Still Reforming" which has all the events, contact details, and some essays about the anniversary and this ecumenical initiative.

6pm, Dockhead, London SE1 2BS