Baroque Spring: Johann Sebastian Bach

Good morning to you all! 'The Guardian' leads this Good Friday in praise of… John Eliot Gardiner. The musical revolutionary is still full of innovative projects nearly 50 years after founding his first ensemble. Ordinary mortals might contemplate slowing down as they approach their 70th birthdays. But not the permanent musical revolutionary that is Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Nearly 50 years after he founded his first ensemble, the Monteverdi Choir, while still a student, Sir John's energy level is undiminished and he is as full of innovative musical projects as ever.



The final disc of his vast Bach Cantatas series has just been published (financed by Gardiner enthusiasts), while on Easter Monday, he will be presiding over an unprecedented nine-hour JS Bach marathon at London's Royal Albert Hall – some tickets are still available, and it's all on Radio 3 – with Sir John conducting the Monteverdi Choir and his own English Baroque Soloists in two Cantatas and the B minor Mass. It is hard to think of anyone in British music-making who has given us all more, or who commands such a devoted following. All this and running his Dorset organic farm too. Due to unprecedented demand from around the world, everyone reading The Third is cordially invited along. If you cannot make it in person, here it is on BBC Radio 3.

BBC Radio 3 - Sir John Eliot Gardiner's Bach Marathon Live from the Royal Albert Hall