About Spiritus Ensemble
Since its founding by Artistic Director Kenneth Hull in 2009, Spiritus Ensemble has performed over 25 of Bach’s cantatas, as well as motets and other works by J.S. Bach, Johann Christoph Bach, Vivaldi, Schütz, Buxtehude, Homilius, Bruhns, Kuhnau, Rheinberger, Benjamin Britten, James MacMillan, and Morten Lauridsen.
Many of Spiritus Ensemble’s Bach cantata performances take place within a liturgical context, accompanied by the readings on which they were intended as commentary, as well as congregational chorales and hymns. These events form an ongoing series of Bach Vespers, offering free-admission performances at which donations are welcomed.
Other performances resemble more traditional concerts, though often with an underlying liturgical or ritual shape. These events are part of our In Concert series, with admission by purchased ticket.
Bach & Beyond — Timeless Music to Inspire the Soul
The music of J.S. Bach and the Baroque era transcends time, offering a deep connection to the human spirit. Baroque music, with its expressive power and intricate structures, speaks to the complexity and beauty of life. Bach, in particular, used music as a vehicle for emotional and spiritual expression, creating compositions that continue to resonate in today’s world. His works bridge the sacred and the secular, offering timeless reflections on faith, humanity, and the divine.
In an age of rapid change, Bach’s music invites us to slow down, reflect, and find inspiration. It reminds us of the importance of tradition and the ongoing relevance of artistic creation as a form of both individual and communal expression.
Kenneth Hull, Artistic Director
Kenneth Hull is a conductor, pianist, teacher, and musicologist with a special interest in the music of J.S. Bach and its role in liturgy and ritual. He was the Director of the Church Music and Worship program at Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo, where he also taught courses in music, liturgy, and sacred choral music. He retired from teaching in 2019. Kenneth served as Director of Music at St. George’s of Forest Hill Anglican Church in Kitchener for 22 years, until 2008.
As a pianist, Kenneth has performed widely, both as a soloist and in chamber music. His scholarly work has been published in Liturgy, Anglican and Episcopal History, Brahms Studies, The Hymn, Reformed Liturgy and Music, and The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymns and Hymnology. His edition of Brahms’s Fourth Symphony is published in the Norton Critical Scores series.
