Tenebrae with Nigel Short © Sim Canetty-Clarke

About the production

Start

7:30 p.m.

End

9:30 p.m.

The opening of the 2026 Lausitz Festival will be dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach, his Mass in B minor and a new »Credo«. The Mass in B minor is one of the most sublime works in the world of music. It will be performed in the parish church of St Peter and Paul in Görlitz by the British choir Tenebrae, from whose ranks the soloists will also emerge. The Basel Chamber Orchestra will provide the accompaniment, with Nigel Short conducting. The line-up guarantees a first-class musical experience.

In 1733, when Bach was 48 years old, he applied for the title of »Royal Polish and Electoral Saxon Court Composer« in Dresden with a »Missa brevis« (Short Mass). On 19 November 1736, he was awarded the title. The name »Missa brevis« stems from the fact that it consisted only of the »Kyrie« and the »Gloria«. Bach, however, continued to work on the mass until shortly before his death and eventually expanded it into a »Missa tota« – a complete mass, as celebrated in the Catholic rite.

The »Dresden Mass« of 1733 forms the core and starting point of the opening concert, as this work plays a prominent role in Johann Sebastian Bach’s »compositional science«. Over the centuries, the B minor Mass that grew out of it has influenced many other (mass) compositions.

As a vivid expression of the enduring connection between the past and the present, the Lausitz Festival has commissioned a new »Credo« – the part of the Mass that follows the »Kyrie« and »Gloria«. It is being written by the French composer and conductor Sylvain Cambreling, who is intended to build on Bach’s »Dresden Mass« and continue it in the spirit of »I believe in«.

As part of the festival opening, not only will the new »Credo« receive its world premiere, but the »Credo Prize« will also be awarded for the first time. This award from the Lausitz Festival honours a figure whose artistic or cultural work is motivated by a deep inner conviction and a firm belief in the social relevance of art.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Mass in B minor, BWV 232

Kyrie

Gloria

Credo – New composition by Sylvain Cambreling

Agnus Dei

Dona nobis pacem

Choir & Soloists

Tenebrae Choir

Founded in 2001 by Nigel Short, a former member of The King’s Singers, the Tenebrae Chamber Choir brings together outstanding singers from across the UK. Tenebrae quickly established itself as one of the world’s leading vocal ensembles. They are multiple winners of the BBC Magazine Awards, including the Best Choral Performance award for their recording of Tomás Luis de Victoria’s »Requiem Mass«. Their recording of Fauré’s Requiem with the London Symphony Orchestra was nominated for the Gramophone Awards, and this was followed in 2018 by a Grammy nomination for the CD »Music of the Spheres«.

With their incredible precision, perfect intonation and unmistakable atmospheric sound, they perform worldwide with renowned orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Academy of Ancient Music. Tenebrae’s repertoire ranges from Renaissance music and the works of Handel and Purcell, through works by Anton Bruckner, to Russian compositions by Rachmaninoff, and right up to the present day with choral works by Sir John Tavener, Joby Talbot and Eric Whitacre.

In the 2022/23 season, Tenebrae will perform at the Rheingau Music Festival, St Thomas’ Church in Leipzig, the Musikfest Berlin and the Brucknerfest in Linz, amongst other venues.

Kammerorchester Basel

A love of music and a spirit of musical discovery have characterised the Basel Chamber Orchestra since its foundation in 1984. With great energy and stylistic openness, the musicians devote themselves to a wide-ranging repertoire.

Awarded the Swiss Music Prize in 2019, the Basel Chamber Orchestra inspires audiences with its artistic excellence and perseverance. Projects such as Haydn2032 or the recording of Haydn’s late masses demonstrate a deep passion for long-term, creative engagement.

An award-winning discography and a diverse range of outreach programmes round off the orchestra’s vibrant activities. Since 2019, the Clariant Foundation has been the Presenting Sponsor of the Basel Chamber Orchestra.

Nigel Short

Nigel Short has been renowned worldwide for many years for his award-winning work with orchestras and choirs, as well as for his diverse discography. Short was a member of the King’s Singers between 1994 and 2000. In 2001, he founded the leading choir Tenebrae, comprising hand-picked singers from across the UK. Under his direction, the choir has performed with internationally renowned orchestras and ensembles and is now regarded as one of the finest vocal ensembles in the world.

Short has conducted world-renowned orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of Ancient Music, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The live recording of Fauré’s Requiem with Tenebrae and the London Symphony Orchestra was nominated for the prestigious Gramophone Award in 2013. Short has also made guest appearances with the BBC Singers, the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir and the Danish National Vocal Ensemble.

Nigel Short is also a producer and works with, amongst others, Alamire, Ex Cathedra, The King’s Singers and other professional vocal ensembles from the UK. Recordings have been released by labels such as Decca Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI Classics, Signum and Warner Classics. In 2018, he was nominated for a Grammy in the »Best Choral Performance« category for Tenebrae’s album »Music of the Spheres«.