Westerkerk

Westerkerk ter Amsterdam

The historic Westerkerk has been home to the longest running cantata series in the country, having performed every month without a break since 1952. Though most of the time a cantata (a narrative piece of music for voices with instrumental accompaniment, typically with solos, chorus, and orchestra) of J.S. Bach is performed, several times throughout the season another baroque composer is featured, such as Handel, Buxtehude, Charpentier, and sometimes later composers such as Mozart and Fauré. These performances take place in their historic setting of a church service, combined with congregational singing, liturgy and a (short) sermon, without applause and the trappings of a “normal” concert. This gives the music added depth, as more attention is spent inward, regardless of whether the listener considers themselves religious or not.

In 2013 after JanJoost van Elburg’s hire at the Westerkerk, the decision was made to return the cantatas to a more historically-informed performance practice, and the search began for a new in-house musical ensemble which played Bach as Bach would have perhaps recognized more. This is where ‘t Kabinet enters the scene: our audition in 2014 went so well that soon we became the Westerkerk’s first baroque ensemble in residence, and have performed every cantata service since then, in addition to concerts and special functions. This special association mean that though we perform in other places, the Westerkerk remains our treasured Home.