Review: THE CANTATA BAND - HOPE AND TRIUMPH at Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Reviewed by Ewart Shaw, Friday 7th November 2025.7

”Nice to know we can produce world class music here in Adelaide”, was the opinion of one of the audience in Bethlehem Lutheran Church for the Cantata Band presentation of Hope and Triumph, two works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Cantata 140 Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme, and Cantata 80 Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott.

Wachet Auf, featuring one of Bach’s most memorable inspirations, represents hope, and the wise virgins who have conserved the oil for their lamps welcome Jesus the bridegroom to the wedding feast. The music is simple and open hearted. The soprano and bass have duets of affectionate simplicity framed by the wakeful encouragement of the small choir.

The principal soloists were soprano Gianna Guttila whose radiant tone was real delight to encounter and the Melbourne bass Nicholas Dinopolous. He has a big voice with a distinctive timbre who came into his own in the second cantata. I doubt that there’s a bass in Adelaide who could sing the aria, Alles, was von Gott geboren, a tour de force of vocal agility, with Guttilla’s voice floating above with the chorale melody. She then sang Komm in mein Herzen Haus (Come into my Heart’s House) with exquisite commitment. Kim Worley and Emma Woehle featured in a duet, Wie Selig Sind Doch die Gott in Munde Tragen (Blessed are they that have God’s word in their mouths).

Ein Feste Burg generally translated as A Mighty Fortress is our God, is a defiant statement penned by Luther when indeed his nascent church was threatened on all sides. While 500 years on the church that bears his name is secure, the hymn tune rings out with passion.

Nestled between the two Bach cantatas was a rare gem by the prolific German composer GP Telemann. His motet Ein Feste Burg, with continuo accompaniment celebrates Gottes Wort und Luther’s Lehr (the word of God and Luther’s teaching). The famous tune is woven throughout a simple but highly engaging vocal texture. It contrasted, in its intimacy, with the forthright statements of worship in the Bach.

The Cantata Band grew out of conversations here and in Melbourne between three very fine musicians and, in this concert, there they were, Anna Webb, viola, Kim Worley, tenor, and Andrew Georg, organ and harpsichord. With a small group of singers, both chorus and soloists, and an impressive instrumental ensemble, they are dedicated to bringing Adelaide performances of the cantatas mirroring the numbers available for Bach in Leipzig.

Here, the small chamber choir, bolstered by the soloists, was accompanied by a virtuoso, directed from the keyboard by Andrew Georg, with Tom Marlin as the continuo ‘cellist. Runa Baagoe and Anna Freer, violins, joined viola player, Anna Webb. There were three superb baroque oboes, with Brenda O’Donnell , Alison Stewart Klein, and Jane Downer.

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