“Christmas with Bach”: Gerhard Loffler, the organist at the Church of St. James in Hamburg, has selected this title for his MDG CD debut. Arp Schnitger’s masterpiece of organ design in St. James is not only the largest instrument by this Northern German organ builder, whose death three hundred years ago is being commemorated in 2019, but also has what qualifies as the most important extant original pipework from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

With these resources it very much makes its presence felt in the music and interpretation. And when captured in magnificent three-dimensional sound on this Super Audio CD, it is guaranteed to spread the Christmas spirit throughout the year.