Bach, the Universe and Everything: We Will Explore

The road stretches into darkness. This month, Bach, the Universe and Everything explores hope in the face of doubt and the remarkable drive of humans to journey beyond our earthly limits. Inspired by the music of the composer and intergalactic genius JS Bach, the annual series takes audiences on a cosmic adventure in which music meets astronomy. Expect awe, beauty and big ideas.

Like a lost scene torn from one of Bach's great Passions, the opening of Bleib bei uns plunges us into the heart of the circle of disciples on Easter Monday. First heard on the same weekend as the revived St John Passion in 1725, it moves from an exquisite aria for alto accompanied by cor anglais through a breathtaking solo for piccolo cello to a melancholic tenor aria where hope and doubt exist side by side.

On 6 April 2026, Artemis II carried humans farther from Earth than ever before, as its crew of four astronauts completed a historic lunar flyby. Libby Jackson explores our urge to go further into the unknown and what the landmark mission means for the future of space travel. She is Head of Space at the Science Museum, former UK Space Agency spokesperson for Tim Peake's mission to the International Space Station and the author of A Galaxy of Her Own.

This season also features motets by the English composer Richard Dering (c. 1580–1630). A Catholic convert, he spent much of his career working in continental Europe before returning to England in 1625 to serve in the court of Queen Henrietta Maria. Dering's music bridged the Renaissance and Baroque styles.

Programme:
JS Bach Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden (Stay with us, for evening falls), BWV 6
Richard Dering Ave verum corpus

Performers:
Libby Jackson speaker
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Steven Devine music director