Leipzig Churches and Coffeehouses

The Atlanta Baroque Orchestra is playing Leipzig Churches and Coffeehouses at The Cathedral of St. Philip on Friday, October 23, at 7:30 PM. They'll be joined by the Cathedral's own Schola and conductor Dale Adelmann, with organist Chase Loomer on the keys. The program is part of the ABO's 10th-anniversary celebrations and their role as Artists-in-Residence at the Cathedral.

The music follows J.S. Bach's life in Leipzig, and the pieces are tied to the city's different spaces. Cantata 80, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, was first performed at St. Nicholas Church in 1731 when a new town council took office; the ABO first collaborated on that work with Friends of Cathedral Music back in 2013. From there, the program moves to Zimmermann's famous coffeehouse, where the Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C Major was composed for performance. Finally, there's Cantata 29, in which Bach reimagines the Preludio from his Violin Partita in E major as an organ extravaganza.

Founded in 1998 and led by Artistic Director Julie Andrijeski, the ABO is the first and oldest professional orchestra in the Southeastern United States dedicated to historically informed performance on period instruments. That means they play on instruments that match the era of the music they're performing, rather than modern versions.

Tickets are $35 to $50, with a $15 student price and kids 12 and under free. If Friday doesn't work, there's a second performance on Saturday, October 24, at 3 PM at the Lassiter High School Concert Hall in Marietta.