Leipzig

As we arrived in Leipzig, one of the first things we were greeted with was the towering statue of J.S. Bach outside of St. Thomas Church, the church where Bach was the Cantor from 1723-1750.  It was amazing to stand there and think, wow, this is where Bach lived, taught, and composed for a large portion of his life.  

Statue of J.S. Bach 

We had a guided tour of the city which included going through the Bach Museum.  It was cool to learn about some of the smaller details of his life and see scores he wrote and some of the only portraits ever painted of him.

 The next day we went to the Mendelssohn House, which is a museum about the composer Felix Mendelssohn in his actual house.  It was very interactive and even had an exhibit where you could “conduct” his pieces live and hear what they would sound like with modern instruments or period instruments.  Later that day, MacKenzie and I went up to the top of City-Hochhaus, one of the tallest buildings in Leipzig, and saw the beautiful view from the look out area. 

View of Leipzig

Our last full day in Leipzig was full of amazing music!  We were able to go to a service at St. Thomas Church and hear the boys choir perform.  This was such an awesome experience because that is the same choir Bach would have conducted in his day in the same location.  17 cantors later and the choir sounds fantastic!  That evening we heard a wonderful concert at the Leipzig University of Music.  It was cool to see students, like us, perform at such a high level! 

The St. Thomas Boys Choir