“One of classical music’s greatest composers split his time between the sacred and the secular, premiering works at both cathedrals and coffeehouses,” writes Rob Hubbard in Saturday’s (8/14) Star Tribune (Minneapolis). “The Bach Roots Festival gives a taste of the composer’s mix of milieus with performances at craft breweries and churches, stopping at a couple of parks, too. A brainchild of conductor Matthew Olson, the eight-day, seven-concert festival launches Sunday in the Beergarden at Minneapolis’ Utepils Brewing…. In 2012, Olson founded the Oratory Bach Ensemble, a group that mixed music and theology by performing Bach cantatas as part of worship services. But Bach was readily available in the Twin Cities, with such groups as the Minnesota Bach Ensemble, the Bach Society of Minnesota and Lyra Baroque…. Olson settled upon the niche of a summer festival and Bach Roots was born.… The liturgy/concert combo lives on in the festival’s Wednesday evening ‘Vespers’ service featuring a cantata and other vocal and organ music…. The festival’s grand finale is Bach’s ‘Magnificat,’ preceded by a setting of the same text from the composer’s predecessor as minister of music in Leipzig, Germany, Johann Kuhnau…. The festival also features a family concert.”
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