500 years ago on 31 October 1517 in Wittenberg, Saxony, Martin Luther sent his Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences to the Archbishop of Mainz. Find out how its impact was to change the world…
Martin Luther’s theses were a massive attack on the Church and the papacy. In particular, their selling of indulgences and doctrinal policies about purgatory, judgment, and Papal authority.
One of the most interesting things about this was the speed in which his ideas and documents were circulated. Making great use of the relatively new printing press, word spread like wildfire through inexpensive pamphlets as well as vernacular Bibles.
Whether he realised it or not at the time, Martin Luther was initiating a huge new religious movement – the Protestant Reformation – which was to change the course of world history…
Music plays an enormous part in the success of the German Reformation with Martin Luther encouraging communal hymn singing through Chorales. These became part of the fabric of Protestantism, building on the medieval heritage of Meistersinger and monasteries alike and informing the enormous output of Baroque music, culminating in the Cantatas by JS Bach.
Henrike Lähnemann, Professor of Medieval German Studies, is working with Alex Lloyd, Lecturer in German, and Tom Hammond-Davies, Director of the Oxford Bach Soloists, to recreate the sound of the Reformation.
Following the summer 2016 tour to Northern Germany exploring music from medieval liturgy to the work of JS Bach, the Oxford Bach Soloists are now involved in performances of four of Bach’s Reformation Cantatas as part of a Reformation Trail around Oxford in collaboration with the Taylorian Library.
Learn more about the Reformation Trail
Oxford Bach Soloists will perform the first event in this exciting voyage of discovery with Reformation 500: Sun and Shield which will include JS Bach’s 1725 Cantata No 79: ‘Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild’ (God the Lord is Sun and Shield).
The day before the event on 26 May the Bodleain Print Workshop are hosting a PRINT WORKSHOP where visitors can Make your own 95 Theses and Typeset your own Indulgence! Find out more.
