Songs of Faith - New Cantatas for the Liturgical Year

New cantatas for the liturgical year: the keyword ‘cantata’ makes one think immediately of Johann Sebastian Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude, and Georg Philipp Telemann. Now, there is a new collection of contemporary cantatas from Hanover. The works are designated for the everyday use in parishes and church choirs. The Protestant church had commissioned renowned composers to write cantatas for the Sundays and feast days of the liturgical year. As in Bach’s day, the cantatas feature biblical passages, chorales, and contemporary texts, and are structured both as narratives and reflections. Musically and stylistically, the pieces cover an impressive range.

On this double-disc, Rondeau Production presents a selection from the series which has so far brought forth 30 cantatas by 15 composers: the new cantatas are performed by Hanover’s leading choirs, which for the first time join forces for a CD project. Following the cycle of the liturgical year, they sing the compositions and invite the listener to observe the dialogue between literary texts and contemporary music in a sacred context. The music is at the same time both challenging and attractive—a compendium of current Protestant church music.

Knabenchor Hannover
Mädchenchor Hannover
Junges Vokalensemble Hannover
Kammerchor Hannover
Norddeutscher Figuralchor