Dunedin Consort - J.S. Bach: Magnificat - The Irish Times

John Butt's Dunedin Consort here offers a reconstruction of Bach's first Christmas Vespers in Leipzig in December 1723. The major works, the Magnificat in E flat and Cantata No 63, Christen ätzet diesen Tag, are interleaved with other music. There's an opening motet, Hodie Christus natus est, by Giovanni Gabrieli, organ pieces, and full-voiced congregational chorales. With just 10 voices and an orchestra not quite double that in number (four of them trumpets) the scene is set for music-making that's lucid and festive, captured in sound that's both intimate and full. A spirited Christmas celebration with a difference.