​Bach Musical Meditation Series at Christ Church, New Bern

Every Wednesday afternoon from 12:00 until 12:30 throughout Lent, all are invited to come, sit, and listen to the entire cycle of Bach’s preludes and fugues from Book One of The Well-Tempered Clavier on piano at Christ Church, New Bern. This musical offering is meant to give space for meditation and prayer as we walk together through the weeks of Lent. The half hour will begin with a few minutes of silent prayer or meditation, followed by four preludes and fugues (in the order in which they are printed in Book One). Any remaining time in the half hour will be filled with a brief improvisation on a Lenten hymn tune. During the performance, you are welcome to quietly meditate, read, pray, or simply listen.

Bach’s famous Well-Tempered Clavier is a set of 24 preludes and fugues in all the major and minor keys. They were originally meant for musicians to study and not intended for performance. However, over the years musicians have enjoyed performing and recording these masterworks; Glenn Gould being among the more famous. Performer interpretations vary significantly, and I often find myself playing the same piece differently, depending on the purpose and moment of performance. In this series, you’ll hear an interpretation that is best characterized by these words: quiet, study, meditation, reflection.