Special Bach Program

275 Years of Bach

In commemoration of the 275th anniversary of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach in 1750, Director of Music Colin MacKnight will perform Bach’s complete organ works throughout 2025. Bach is indisputably the most important composer of organ music, but due to the difficulty and quantity of Bach’s organ music, very few organists ever perform the complete works.

Bach’s music, including his organ music, is a pillar of our sacred music tradition. In celebration of this gift, we are offering these free performances to the Little Rock community to allow people to experience the majesty of Bach’s music and enrich our music ministry.

Bach’s organ oeuvre comprises about 18 hours of music: six trio sonatas, 43 preludes and fugues and other free works, four trios, five miscellaneous pieces, five concertos, and over 200 chorale preludes (pieces based on Lutheran hymn tunes). Colin will perform most of these works in lunchtime recitals on Wednesdays from 12:15 to 12:45. These weekly recitals resume on September 10, 2025 and will conclude on December 17th, 2025

The Bach Challenge

As part of this celebration of Bach’s music, we challenge you to contribute to Trinity Choir’s residency at Canterbury Cathedral in summer 2026. Our fundraising goal for the 2026 Canterbury trip is $50,000. Among other things, your gifts will support trip expenses for choral scholars who would not otherwise be able to experience singing brilliant sacred music in one of the world’s great cathedrals.

We invite you to participate in the Bach Challenge at one of the following levels:
Chorale Prelude: up to $49
Chorale Partita: $50-$99
Concerto: $100-$249
Trio Sonata: $250-$499
Prelude and Fugue: $500-$999
Toccata and Fugue: $1000+

We also invite and encourage non-singers to attend the pilgrimage track of the Canterbury residency and experience the center of the Anglican faith. Email Colin MacKnight at colin@trinitylittlerock.org for more information.