The New England Bach Festival is not only about authentic baroque performances.Two late night concerts extend Bach’s music into new realms that should appeal to a wide audience.
Bach Jazz (10pm, Thursday May 3 at the Uniting Church) includes two of Jacques Loussier’s reworkings of Bach, some jazzed up versions of Bach pieces by the performers as well as music by Claude Bolling and Warwick Dunham. Warwick heads a quintet that also includes Fancesca Andreoni, Nick Negerevich, Rob Woodhouse and Nik Glass. A great concert for people who want Bach to bop.
Minimalist Meditations (10pm Friday May 4 again at the Uniting Church) approaches Bach’s music in a different meditative way. The all Australian program includes reworkings of Bach pieces and pieces that use themes or motifs by Bach as a basis of minimalist interweavings of textures. Benjamin Thorn and Steve Thorneycroft have written new works specially for this concert which promises to be a fascinating transcendent experience. Other performers involved are Margaret Butch, Georgie Ostenfeld, Cecile Michels and Alana Blackburn.
Full details of the rest of the New England Bach Festival are available at www.nebachfestival.com
