St. Thomas Church, Leipzig
Thomaskirche51°20′ N 12°22′ E
The Thomaskirche suits anyone who wants to hear the Thomanerchor sing in the church where Bach worked, and the Friday and Saturday motets cost only a 3-euro programme. The Christmas Eve motet begins at 13:30, and doors open 45 minutes earlier.
Photo Clemensfranz · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Johann Sebastian Bach served the Thomaskirche as cantor, and the Thomanerchor still sings most of its motets and many of its services. The Friday motet at 18:00 takes the form of a vesper and lasts about an hour. On Saturday at 15:00 the motet usually includes a Bach cantata and runs about 80 minutes. In the Saxon summer holidays the motets pause for an organ festival.
The church stands at the edge of the Christmas market, and the lawn beside it carries the market's light installations in the evenings. On 24 December the Christmas Eve motet begins at 13:30, and a New Year's Eve motet follows at the same time on 31 December. Guest ensembles or organists take over when the Thomanerchor is away on tour.
Worth knowing
- Bring coins for the 3-euro motet programme at the door; children and school pupils go free.
- Enter through the Burgstraße door if you use a wheelchair or push a pram.
Quick answers about St. Thomas Church, Leipzig
When can you hear the Thomanerchor in Leipzig?
The Thomanerchor usually sings the motets in the Thomaskirche on Fridays at 18:00 and Saturdays at 15:00, and often at the Sunday services. On 24 December a Christmas Eve motet begins at 13:30.
How much does a motet at the Thomaskirche cost?
A motet at the Thomaskirche needs an entry programme for 3 euros a person, bought at the door. Children, school pupils and Leipzig-Pass holders go free.