Over a hundred people from Fairford, and much further away, clearly thought that the opportunity to spend a balmy summer’s evening sitting in the cool and calm of Saint Mary’s church, listening to three of Bach’s heavenly cello suites for solo instrument was not to be missed. The technical demands of the pieces and the difficulty in interpretation – because the only surviving copies were not annotated and had many discrepancies – meant that they were not well known and were rarely performed in modern times, until Pablo Picasso performed them in the early 20th century. Since then they have been performed and recorded by many renowned cellists, and are considered to be some of Bach’s greatest musical achievements.
We were so very fortunate to have secured Orlando Jopling – who is not only a cellist of renown, but also a conductor, Artistic Director of the Roman River festival and Wild Arts and a composer of international standing. Over the last fifteen years, as part of his cello pilgrimage, he has given over 150 solo recitals in beautiful churches in idyllic, and often remote areas of the UK, raising funds for their upkeep. We were the beneficiaries of one of those recitals this year, and what a joy and privilege it was. Orlando himself says that the idea for the cello pilgrimage came from three things coming together; “I’ve always loved the peace and tranquility of churches, and the sense of history within them. I wanted to play some music that would fill the space and to breathe some life into the stones. Secondly I am lucky enough to play the cello, for which Bach wrote the wonderful suites. They seem to match the spirit of the churches perfectly. Lastly I know that it is an ongoing challenge to keep each one of those churches in good repair for future generations and I would like to do my bit to help. “
The expressiveness of each of the suites as well as the ’towering musical architecture’ from very simple means – a single line of music, and an occasional double stop mens that there is a simplicity about each concert. A cello, a chair and a consummate performer is all that is needed! It was evident from the moment he started playing that Orlando Jopling loves this music. He played with a lovely light and relaxed tone, which was also full and powerful when necessary. The lighter movements had an almost whimsical feel, whereas the Gavottes and Gigues were full of rhythm and power. The articulation in the much faster Courantes was exceptionally good and his more romantic style with plenty of give and take in the tempo held the audience spellbound. The applause as the final suite came to an end was rapturous, and so well deserved, as it was evident that Orlando had given us his all. I think that many of us wondered whether an encore was just too much to ask, and yet there were many calls for ‘‘more! more!” What was a wonderful surprise was his emotional playing of Pablo Casals’ arrangement of ‘The Song of the Birds’ – an old Catalan folksong. It lasts a mere three and a half minutes but is so exquisite and intense that the audience is left holding their breath as the dying note hangs in the air. What a delicate, intensely spiritual ending in the lovely acoustic of this ancient building.
The combination of a wonderful old building, beautiful music, an attentive audience – and not forgetting the most welcome drinks and delicious canapes in the interval – meant that all in all it was a wonderful occasion, which we will remember for a long time.
Meg Ralph
Updated 8th September 2025