Ottawa Bach Choir, Lisette Canton, conductor (OBC)

The Ottawa Bach Choir has been delighting local and international audiences for most of its barely three-year existence, and has now released its first CD.

It includes major works by Bach and Schutz and shorter ones by Telemann and Buxtehude. The most interesting of the lot is undoubtedly the Schutz German requiem, entitled Musikalische Exequien. Conductor Lisette Canton leads the choir and a select ensemble of baroque instrumentalists in a gravely beautiful performance.

Bach’s cantata Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150, far more familiar and no less wonderful, is rendered equally well as are the shorter pieces. In every case such soloists as the score prescribes are rendered beautifully by members of the choir.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2005