London Bach Society

The London Bach Society was founded on 7 November 1946 in order to ‘get back to Bach in its original form’. Since foundation, the Society has built up an enviable reputation for its pioneering work to make Bach’s repertoire more widely known and appreciated in the UK, with the lesser known works one of the artistic priorities. Continually building on its considerable musical legacy, LBS centres its performing work around an annual Bachfest, founded in 1990. The overriding purpose of this year’s series is to create opportunity for young artists for them to work alongside experienced professionals, and for young audiences to enhance their Bach listening experience.

Under founder Paul Steinitz’s direction from 1946-1988 the Society’s pioneering projects have changed the way we approach the study and performance of Bach’s music in this country. These have opened the door to Bach’s magnificent treasury of music for many generations of performers and listeners, and inspired other conductors and musicians to explore the vast corpus of Bach’s music more deeply themselves now here in the UK.

Now in its eighth decade, London Bach Society is building upon this musical legacy, supporting young musicians and encouraging new audiences as well as promoting its bedrock policy to enhance modern Bach scholarship in ‘live’performances today.

The Society is part of a global Bach community of organisations devoted to the study and performance of Bach’s music. It is a community that embraces all four corners of the world. LBS were patrons of a special edition of the Leipzig Bachfest 2022 “BACH-We are Family” that brought together Bach Societies, Choirs and organisations from around the globe.

LBS is performance-driven. An independent spirit, all the Society does flows to and from the ‘live’ experience enabling the performer and listener to draw closer to Bach, his music, his life and times and to be inspired and enriched by them. We promote our own professional period-instrument orchestra founded in 1968: The Steinitz Bach Players.