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The Bachfest always opens in St. Thomas' Church in Leipzig, with the composer in attendance: his remains lie under the altar space. This year's opener focuses on the Leipzig tradition with Bach, his predecessor Schein, Schein's friend Schütz over in Dresden – and Mendelssohn, the Leipzig musician we have to thank for the Bach revival that still goes on.

St Thomas' Church, Leipzig

St Thomas' Church, Leipzig Photo: Deutsche Welle Festival

It's in our nature to collect and organize things, to put them together into cycles. After all, our very lives are organised around cycles like the seasons of the year, or days followed by nights. Cycles bring order and ritual to our lives. Composers like to organize their music into cycles too, and none more than Johann Sebastian Bach.

The 2019 Bachfest in Leipzig opens in St. Thomas' Church, focusing on the Leipzig tradition with Bach, his predecessor Schein, Schein's friend Schütz, and Mendelssohn, who started the Bach revival that continues today.

St Thomas Boy Choir, Gewandhaus Orchestra, Leipzig, Stuttgart Chamber Chorus Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen conducted by Gotthold Schwarz

Recorded St Thomas' Church, Leipzig (Deutsche Welle)