‘The Chosen One’
Academy of Ancient Music, Laurence Cummings
Rowan Pierce, Helen Charlston, Nick Pritchard, Ben Kazez
Milton Court. 16 April 2026

Christoph Graupner: Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden
Christian Friedrich Rolle: Es wurden aber auch and Verdammliche Bosheit
Georg Friedrich Kauffmann: O ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen?
Georg Philipp Telemann: Ich muß auf dem Bergen weinen und heulen
Johann Friedrich Fasch: Concerto for Flute and Oboe
Johann Sebastian Bach: Du Wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn

The story behind Bach’s eventual 1723 appointment as Leipzig Thomaskantor is well known, but the details of the appointment process are perhaps less so. This programme aimed to shed a closer light on the appointment process by playing the music that some of the candidates performed during their audition. The post of Thomaskantor consisted of far more than the title implies – its official title was Cantor et Director Musices, which better describes the twin roles. As Cantor, he was responsible for directing the music in Leipzig’s four Lutheran churches: the Thomaskirche, Nikolaikirche, Neue Kirche, and Peterskirche. He also had important responsibilities at the Thomasschule, including selecting pupils, and teaching music and Latin. As the Director Musices, he was the principal musician of Leipzig, with civic responsibilities for providing music for official occasions, together with music for the university, usually at the Paulinerkirche. He reported to the city council, the Thomasschule rector, and the Thomaskirche superintendent, but it was the former who ran the auditions and made the decisions on the appointment. 

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