GIBBONS Thus Angels Sung
JS BACH Schwingt freudig euch empor (Soar joyfully upwards to the exalted stars), BWV 36

For our pre-Christmas edition of Bach, the Universe and Everything, we are joined by Helen Arney – science communicator, comedian, songwriter and 33.33% of The Festival of the Spoken Nerd.

At a time of year when our thoughts might turn to heroic journeys made by an animal, Helen Arney guides us through a short history of animals who have headed starwards in the service of space exploration.Composed for the First Sunday of Advent in 1731, Schwingt freudig euch empor zu den erhabnen Sternen (Soar joyfully upwards to the exalted stars, BWV 36) is an extended two-part cantata in which we find Bach at his most jubilant.

Bach, the Universe and Everything is a concert series with a difference. Across six Sunday morning events, we explore the human desire to understand our place in the cosmos, guided by the work of JS Bach – composer and intergalactic genius – through his 200 cantatas. We invite you to join us on a cosmic journey: each event is built around a Bach cantata and a talk from a guest scientist, writer or broadcaster, alongside choral and instrumental music.

Series music director: Steven Devine