Calendar
Events Search and Views Navigation
May 2018
Bach Outdoors!
The Festival opens outside on Lehigh University’s beautiful campus with unique and upbeat performances by our principal violist Paul Miller and friends. They will play electric violin along with other “modern” instruments to offer original arrangements of some of Bach’s most beloved masterpieces.
Find out more »Distinguished Scholar Lecture — Dr. Robin A. Leaver
Greg Funfgeld has invited Robin Leaver to give this lecture to celebrate the 120th birthday of The Choir and to honor his esteemed colleague. Dr. Leaver has been The Bach Choir’s eminent concert program annotator throughout Funfgeld’s tenure of 35 years. He is Visiting Professor, Yale University, and Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland; and Emeritus Professor, Westminster Choir College of Rider University.
Find out more »Bach at 4
The centerpiece of this concert is Bach’s Cantata 106, Gottes Zeit is die allerbeste Zeit (God’s time is the very best time). This gem of a cantata scored for recorders, gambas, and basso continuo was written when Bach was in his early twenties and yet as Nicholas Kenyon wrote “he never surpassed the interior drama of this concentrated piece” and as Jim Gaines wrote of this masterpiece “All of Bach begins here.”
Find out more »Chamber Music in the Saal: SOLD OUT
Charlotte Mattax Moersch launched our Chamber Music in the Saal series in 1997 with a performance of Bach’s epic Goldberg Variations, one of the most ambitious works ever written for the harpsichord. She is delighted to revisit this set of variations, unmatched in their scope and ingenuity, for our 120th birthday.
Find out more »Dinner Discussion: SOLD OUT!
Larry Lipkis, Professor of Music and Composer-in-Residence at Moravian College.
Find out more »Bach at 8
The program opens with Cantata 21 Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, one of Bach’s greatest Cantatas. This wonderful musical journey from sorrow and heaviness to joy and light is, for all the members of our Choir, in the top ten Cantatas they love to sing. Festival artist in residence She-e Wu follows with a transcription for marimba of J.S. Bach’s Third Cello Suite in C Major, BWV 1009. The concert closes with Handel’s Ode for Saint Cecilia’s Day, in honor of Saint Cecilia, patron saint of music.
Find out more »Ifor Jones Chamber Music Concert
Thirty-five years ago, Greg Funfgeld played the harpsichord solo in Bach’s Fifth Brandenburg Concerto, BWV 1050 in one of his first concerts as the new Associate Conductor of The Bach Choir of Bethlehem. In his 35th year with The Choir, he will be joined by Concertmaster Elizabeth Field and principal flautist Robin Kani in a celebratory encore performance. She-e Wu will be the featured soloist in a concerto for marimba and strings. The Bach Festival Orchestra will offer one of Bach’s most beloved works, the Third Suite in D major, BWV 1068 with its celebrated “Air”.
Find out more »Festival Luncheon: SOLD OUT!
Open to the public, the luncheon includes conversation with one of our Festival soloists. Members of the Heritage Society and Guarantors in the top 3 giving circles ($750+) are our guests.
Find out more »Want to stay in-the-know?
Subscribe to our newsletter to get concert announcements, Choir and Bel Canto news, updates about our Festival and guest artists, special offers and more. Simply fill out the form and you’ll get regular updates about The Bach Choir of Bethlehem delivered straight to your inbox!