About: Bach's choir and orchestra

Much has been written about Bach's ensembles (both in size and constituents—both vocal and instrumental) that he used. In Bach's time referred to more advanced vocal church music, usually accompanied by instrumental forces, such as his motets, church cantatas and passions. The vocal and instrumental forces used by Bach for the performance of such music are to a certain extent documented for all the periods of his life. Information about his secular orchestral and choral music is more limited: it mostly involves his period in Köthen, and his involvement with Leipzig's student orchestra, the Collegium Musicum performing at Café Zimmermann.