Does God give, or grant, peace? Both ideas were in force this Saturday just gone, when we gave our Bachchor Heidelberg concert Dona Nobis Pacem in the Peterskirche. It was a wonderful, powerful and delicate programme that at times had me struggling to retain control whilst singing. We sang well, the string ensemble was fantastic and the soloists, soprano Johanna Greulich especially, were great, too. When I think back from the first to the last rehearsals and to the concert itself, it was for me a valuable endeavour, which, going from the first emails the choir received, was a meaningful, emotional as well as “enjoyable” event for the audience, too.

Here’s the programme:

• Da pacem (male choir singing the Latin prayer with harp and organ accompaniment, arranged by our conductor Christian Kabitz)
• Da Pacem, Domine by Peteris Vasks
• V_erleih uns Frieden gnädiglich_, by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
• Pie Jesu by Lili Boulanger
• Psalm 22 by Cyrillus Kreek
• Vesper by Ester Mägi
• Gib Frieden, Herr, gib Frieden by Johann Sebastian Bach
• Da Pacem, Domine by Arvo Pärt
• Sanctus & Agnus Dei by Ola Gjeilo
• Prayer to the Mother of God by Hanna Havrylets
• Adonai elohim from the Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein

It had everything I love in music - gritty chords, interesting ideas, shifting tone and strong ideas along with strong ideals and regular resolution into the calm, tranquil, harmonious, and hopeful. I’ll want to remember this concert for a long time to come.

Well, the pun will: this enjoyable concert with the Bachchor Heidelberg last night, singing the Weihnachtsoratorio (Christmas Oratorio), or - to give it its full name - the Oratorium in Festum Nativitatis Christi from C.H. Graun, was simply a delight.

It's a charming piece dotted with not too challenging yet still interesting chorales and fugues for the choir, amongst the usual mix of arias and recitatives from the soloists telling and reflecting on the nativity story.

Our conductor for this concert was Jörg Halubek, whose website and photos make him look grander and more arrogant than he actually is.

All in all, a light, happy concert bringing good cheer, if at least temporarily, for those who had to drive out of a packed centre of Heidelberg.