The Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment present their stimulating Sunday Service: Bach, the Universe & Everything.

In this season of the OAE pay tribute to the scale of Bach’s ambition by pairing his cantatas with talks from leading figures in the world of science on the nature of human ambition; our successes and the limitations that we still strive to overcome.

The digital programme for this concert is available here.

The Music:
‘Wondrous birth! O wondrous Child!’ This Advent Cantata is a joyful celebration of the birth of Jesus, the miracle child. The Bach buffs among us may recognise elements of this festive cantata as it has been suggested that the piece was a sketch for the aria, ‘Großer Herr und starker König’ from his Christmas Oratorio.

The Science:
Research on the sounds that caregivers exchange with infants has profound implications for the way we understand classical music: how we sing and play these scores and how music moves us. In this talk, Professor Daniel Leech-Wilkinson of King’s College, London, invites us to consider how we can use musical performance to empathise with others.