Tag Archive

The Majesty of Bach

by Peter Ingle

AS SUPERB as J.S. Bach’s music is on radio and CD recordings, it is far more majestic when heard live, especially in the right setting. No doubt, most of the 500 or so people in attendance Sunday afternoon at First (Scots) Presbyterian Church would agree after hearing the Bach Festival Charleston Chamber Orchestra and... Read »

ORGAN: king of instruments

by Peter Ingle

YOU DON’T USUALLY hear the organ played at this volume or level of intensity, certainly not in church. Last night, as part of Bach Festival Charleston at First (Scots) Presbyterian, guest artist Stefan Engels pulled out all the stops—literally—as he performed works by J.S. Bach and Sigfrid Karg-Elert, two of Germany’s and the world’s... Read »

Three Days with J.S. Bach

by Peter Ingle

THE BACH FESTIVAL OF CHARLESTON, which is sponsored by First (Scots) Presbyterian Church and which is free to the public, comes to town only every two years. This will be its second occurrence in a program that offers the rare chance to hear an assortment of J.S. Bach’s chamber sonatas, organ music, orchestral works,... Read »

Bach’s Resplendent Organ Music

by Peter Ingle

TALKING TO internationally acclaimed German organist Stefan Engels is an educational and inspirational experience. You quickly realize that you will never think about—or listen to—the organ the same way. But the first thing I happened to notice about this charming man who will be performing at Bach Festival Charleston was his shoes, which looked... Read »

More Than Just Beautiful Music

by Peter Ingle

WHEN I ASKED Ricard Bordas, who will be conducting the Festival Kirk Choir as part of Bach Festival Charleston, whether he had any suggestions for the audience, he said without hesitation: “Arrive early, read the text—listen to a recording before if you can—and really follow the text along with the music. All this will... Read »


Get our new post alerts

The Arts
The aim of a true work of art is to give a form to what escapes definition.   ~ Tagore