De Nederlandse Bachvereniging . Jos van Veldhoven

Anyone who says the words 'Matthew Passion' in the same breath as 'Nederlandse Bachvereniging' will be thinking unconsciously of the tradition of great passion performances in Naarden. However, in recent years a new wind has been blowing through this 'honourable institution'. Not only have the musicians switched to using period instruments, but at Jos van Veldhoven's instigation it has also reflected on the role of the chorus in Bach's religious music. After all, it is becoming increasingly clear that Bach did not have a chorus at his disposal, but that the soloists together made up the chorus. On important feast-days the four singers may have been supplemented by four ripieno singers, but more than this often appeared unfeasible. In recent years Van Veldhoven has proven to the full that it need not be a disadvantage to perform Bach with a cast of soloists, on the contrary. The chorales become like religious madrigals that can be sung with correspondingly more fervour and transparency. A Matthew Passion as you will probably never have heard it before: no great resounding choruses, but captivating individual voices meticulously selected to blend beautifully with each other. All this in combination with the expertise of the instrumentalists of the Bachvereniging. The Universiteit Vrije Tijd Davidsfonds is organising an audio-course on Bach . tutor Beatrijs Van Hulle . from Thursday 9th March 2005 . +32 (0)16 31 06 70 . www.universiteitvrijetijd.be PLEASE NOTE! The concert starts at 7 pm.