“...things in this world that fade away and evaporate...”
— Augustine of Hippo

Drawing from the profound words of Augustine of Hippo, this program challenges listeners to look past the fleeting nature of the earthly world and focus on the eternal. The sacred music of Johann Sebastian Bach pivots nimbly between these two realms, using musical instruments as vivid metaphors to guide our spiritual compass on an earthly pilgrimage.

This concert explores the ultimate highs and lows of the human experience through contrasting sonic worlds:

• Grounded on Earth: In Cantata 52, Bach utilizes the rustic hunting horn—an instrument deeply tied to nature and the earth—to evoke a visceral landscape of the trials and harsh conditions humans endure in this life.

• Reaching for Heaven: By contrast, the organ was the instrument physically and spiritually closest to heaven for Bach, typically situated high above the congregation in the choir loft. His cantatas scored for organ obbligato beautifully depict the soul at its point of departing the earth. Anchoring these extremes is the Missa, offering a timeless, unwavering musical constant amidst the changing tides of human life.

Co-led by IBO concertmaster Adriane Post and St. Paul’s Director of Music Brad Hughley.