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Details
Swiss Church
79 Endell Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2H 9DY
England
Programme
Dietrich Buxtehude – Membra Jesu Nostri, BuxWV 75
Performers
Claire Ward – soprano
Katie Macdonald – mezzo-soprano
Tom Lilburn – countertenor
Michael Bell – tenor
Hugo Herman-Wilson – baritone
Frederick Waxman – Musical Director
Figure
Other concerts in this Series (+)
Programme Note
Experience every emotion up close and stand within the Passion scene – in the body of the sound – as Figure offers an immersive, surround-sound performance of Dieterich Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri (1680), a visceral Baroque choral meditation on the crucified body of Christ.
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“Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
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In a sequence of seven short cantatas, each dedicated to a different aspect of Christ’s body on the cross (from his feet to his face, including his heart), Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu nostri patientis sanctissima (Most Holy Limbs of our Suffering Jesus) contemplates both the anatomy and the agony of the crucifixion, as well as its salvation and joy. Unlike Johann Sebastian Bach’s narrative depictions of the Passion story, Buxtehude paints a series of moving tableaux, combining devotional poetry with music of extraordinary, heart-rending and, at times, terrifying immediacy and intimacy.
About the music
This unique ‘Passion-meditation’ was likely first-performed as part of the annual Abendmusiken concert series at the Marienkirche in Lübeck (in modern North Germany), where Dieterich Buxtehude (c.1637-1707) was organist from 1668 until his death. Removed from the stricture of church liturgy, Membra Jesu Nostri acts as a devotional aid, inviting the listener (and viewer) to stop and survey Christ’s afflicted body, guiding both the eye and the ear around the spectacle; all the while accentuating the relationship between His corporeal sacrifice and their redemption, a central tenet of Buxtehude’s Lutheran faith. In short, Membra Jesu Nostri brings the listener into a communion with Christ – "this is my body". The title page of the original manuscript even carries the words, “to be sung with the humblest devotion of the whole heart”.
What can I expect from this experience?
Performed by solo voices (from memory), in the warm resonance of the elegant, white-washed Swiss Church (Covent Garden), Figure’s performance will both amplify Buxtehude’s original intentions and embody its subject matter by placing a standing audience in the body of the sound – in the heart of the Passion scene – as the singers move freely throughout the space. Directed from the chamber organ by Figure’s Musical and Co-Artistic Director, Frederick Waxman, the performance will run uninterrupted (around 60 minutes) before the evening gives way to drinks and further, more informal music-making.
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About Figure
We are Figure, a forward-thinking historical performance ensemble, committed to reaching new and existing audiences through immersive musical experiences.
Founded in 2021, in the wake of the pandemic, our vision has been shaped by a burning desire to bring music back to live audiences; to offer more than be consumed at home, and to break free from traditional formalities. Figure aims to improve access to Classical music by presenting more than just concerts, but experiences, as well as through offering reduced-price tickets and taking our music to a range of stimulating and welcoming venues.
Creating experiences is central to our work as a ‘historical performance’ ensemble. We are dedicated to transporting audiences to the time of the music's creation, but our endeavour reaches far beyond recreating a historical sound. Figure works imaginatively to immerse audiences in the context, atmosphere and original passion of the music: be it fashioning a secular liturgy to accompany a sacred Requiem; reuniting court music with comedic entertainment; or just in the way that the musicians are placed in the space around the audience, with no barriers to feeling, articulacy and power. As an ensemble of young, early-career musicians, we represent a new generation in historical performance, keen to demonstrate that a historical approach can be applied to music from across the Classical repertoire, from Bach to Britten. We believe that through this historical, yet creative and immersive approach, any music of the past can be rendered more engaging, more accessible and more meaningful.
As part of our commitment to making our events more accessible, we are always proud to offer reduced-price tickets for under 30s and concessionary tickets for students, under 18s, and anyone unwaged, unemployed or struggling with the cost of living.
Frederick Waxman (Musical Director/Co-Artistic Director)
Philip Barrett (Co-Artistic Director)
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Praise for Figure's previous events
"An unusual Saturday night but an undeniably glorious one: Figure’s aims of producing historically-informed and wholly-accessible classical music are achieved... It is a secular act of worship for the arts, and one I would long to see repeated."
The Indiependent on Reflection and Remembrance: Requiems by Fauré and Charpentier at Union Chapel, November 2022
"an exquisite, meditative evening of music and readings... Figure present such an innovative interpretation that Faure’s work comes up freshly rinsed: it’s like hearing the work for the first time."
The Reviews Hub on Reflection and Remembrance: Requiems by Fauré and Charpentier at Union Chapel, November 2022
“fantastically detailed storytelling… [with a] consistent buoyancy of playing... Figure clearly has good ideas, good musicians and good support, so expect to see more of them.”
Erica Jeal, The Guardian on Handel’s Serse at Opera Holland Park Reflection, June 2022
"Musically, under the stylish direction of Frederick Waxman from one of two harpsichords, there was already a lot to admire.”
Hugh Canning, Opera Magazine on Handel’s Serse at Opera Holland Park Reflection, June 2022
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Please note: there will be two performances of the production, on Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th March; both performances will be for a standing audience (limited seating and accessible spaces are available); reduced-price and concessionary tickets are available.
