Some concerts are just a complete pleasure, and such was the case with the Bowdoin Festival’s “Festival Fridays” all-Bach event on July 11.

On the program was Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major (BMV 1048), the Harpsichord Concerto No. 1 in D Minor (BMV 1052), and after the intermission, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BMV 140.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685. At the time of his birth, the Baroque period was already somewhat on the wane. The work of Bach and others brought it back into popularity by adding new forms — chiefly the cantata and sonata forms, and the fugue. Cantatas and sonatas are basically the same forms of music. One, the cantata form, is sung and one is “sounded” — that is, a sonata is instrumental only.

Late Baroque musicians also experimented more deeply with medieval polyphony.

Polyphony is a type of music in which each voice plays or sings a melodic line independently. That’s very different from more modern forms, in which one voice — for instance, the violin — has the melody and the other voices play non-melodic harmonies.

Polyphony in the late Baroque was crowned by counterpoint. In counterpoint, the melodic lines based on one another, another directly or inverted, form harmonies of their own when played in multiple voices. Bach’s work with the fugue form was the zenith for counterpoint of all types.

While Bach’s fugue cycle may have been the zenith for the counterpoint form, nearly all of Bach’s work uses counterpoint, including parts of his cantatas.

The other popular musical form of the period was the concerto. Although one instrument is typically identified as the “soloist” in a concerto, with a supporting string section, in Brandenburg No. 3, all the voices take the “solo” at one point or another.

So while technically

Brandenburg 3 is a harpsichord and violin concerto, the truth is that the first violin and second violin are more often featured than the harpsichord, and other instruments, even the continuo bass takes a turn. The second “movement” is a time signature and two chords. No one is sure whether Bach meant to write it like this, or if he got busy with something else and forgot to finish it, or if there was more to it that was lost to time. It serves as a breathing break between the two allegro sections. Because all the players take a solo role, the concerto could be considered a “ripieno” concerto. The dizzying play of the movement of the solo from instrument to instrument is a bit like a game of hot potato as first this, then that soloist takes the melody line and center stage.

Eric Zuber played piano in the Harpsichord Concerto No. 1. The Festival Orchestra also performed the work. Zuber’s light touch on the piano gave a feel to the work that referenced a harpsichord or clavier, but with the rich timbre of the piano. He conducted the orchestra from the bench. The result was a decidedly tight performance and one that was a delightful spectacle for all concerned.

The second half was given over entirely to Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, Cantata 140, which was written for the boy singers at the church of Thomaskirche school at Leipzig. Based on the parable about the wise and foolish virgins, the bridegroom (Jesus Christ, sung by baritone Paul Tipton) and the bride (the souls of humankind, sung by soprano Marguerite Krull) are about to be married. (In a charming nod to the theme of the piece, Krull wore a long white gown.) The bride is alerted to the arrival of the bridegroom by the watchmen, singing on the tower. She rises, lights her lamp, and goes forward to the hall to meet the bridegroom. The cantata choral part is repeated three times — the opening chorale, the tenor (Stefan Reed) solo, and the gloria recapitulation at the very end. The bride and bridegroom sing a yearning duet aria (Wenn Kommst du, mein Heil), and then, once joined together, sing a joyful aria (Mein Freund ist mein).

Lewis Kaplan, who co-founded the Bowdoin Festival, conducted the festival chorus (in association with the Oratorio Chorale) and orchestra, while Emily Isaacson, the Chorale director, served as musical director. Hugo Souza played the amazing oboe solo in the “Mein Freund” aria.

We hope that the Oratorio Chorale reconsiders and decides to perform this delightful cantata again during their own “all Bach” program this spring. Judging by the number of people in the hall and their enthusiastic response, it would be a solid hit.