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Welcome to the 2021 Lindsey Chapel Series. This year we hear all six of the English Suites of Johann Sebastian Bach. Why the designation “English”? We don’t really know beyond some - less than fascinating - academic conjecture. Certainly Bach himself didn’t call them that. In grandeur and scope, the Suites eclipse the more intimate “French” Suites heard here a few years ago. Beyond the standard suite movements (Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue) and the Prelude, the choice of additional dance movements is quite varied. The English historian, Charles Sanford Terry, wrote of the English Suites: “Their pervading tone is of happy humor and exuberant good nature”. That point might be debatable, but we can agree that engagement with this superb repertoire presents a welcome respite from the challenges of contemporary life. As always, we are grateful to Emmanuel Church for use of this beautiful chapel - an architectural marvel and, as a space to hear this glorious and complicated body of literature, an unrivaled acoustic. -Michael Beattie See the complete program for the Lindsey Chapel Series here: https://www.flipsnack.com/emmmanuelmu...