A ROD FOR THEIR BACH

FOR many, Bach's Mass In B Minor is not only the composer's masterpiece, but also one of the greatest pieces of music ever penned.

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Asked why he thinks the work has continued to be so revered, soloist Roderick Williams says: "It's hard to say, outside of any answer that just says 'Bach is Bach.

"It might be the scale of the piece," he continues. "A Haydn mass setting might take less than half-an-hour to perform, but this piece lasts a whole evening. It feels like the most glorious ecclesiastical architecture on a fantastical level. But similarly it might be the intimacy of the piece; some movements feel like conversations between private individuals, even in some choral movements.

"So it is both epic and human at the same time; I'm not sure who else can pull that off, and Bach seems to achieve it without even trying."

Williams will be joining Birmingham Bach Choir to present Bach's mighty Mass at Lichfield Cathedral next week.

"I love being involved in a performance of the Mass as a soloist because it reminds me that I am a small cog in a huge machine," enthuses Williams. "I usually sing in only two movements but I am often given a ringside seat to watch this glorious piece unfold. I can really appreciate the enormity of the whole undertaking while focusing also on my two arias.