The Bach Akademie Australia’s Music in the Castle of Heaven, conducted by Artistic Director Madeleine Easton, celebrates the tercentenary of JS Bach’s appointment in 1723 to his longest and most successful engagement as Kantor at St Thomas’ Church in Leipzig.

Fresh from a Bach pilgrimage on which I heard back-to-back to concerts, traversing the towns and churches of Bach’s life, I have a new appreciation of Bach’s time in Leipzig, trudging between the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche, where he also worked, in an era devoid of the comforts and amenities of modern living and printing.

Despite its religious purpose, Bach’s writing embodies the drama of opera and the grandeur of the court amidst its Lutheran simplicity. Easton embraces this breadth in her selection of iconic pieces to celebrate the Leipzig years and the upcoming festive season.

These baroque treats, brim with Bach’s peerless writing, are performed by a choir of 16 hand-picked singers and a luxurious period ensemble of 21, including bassoon, transverse flutes, oboes d’amore, trumpets and horn. Stamina and a secure technique are demanded by this challenging anthology as well as the ability to tell a tale in song and tenacious ensemble skills.

Easton maintains an understated but firm hand...