Home News

This is going to be a slightly scattered post, but there are a lot of little Bach Choir tidbits to be shared  – updates, invitations and the like.

Songs of Hope:  We received a marketing update from our record label, Analekta, about airplay on radio stations around the country (and on the internet).  Thus far (six weeks after the release), we’re being played by 76 stations around the country.  The report also includes comments from producers and DJs, and they are very gratifying.  I think my favorite is from an intrepid soul in Charleston, WV, who writes “Bach is, well, Bach, and we are spinning.”   We’re also spinning in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New York, Portland (OR – though we’re getting some play in the Blue Hill/Bangor area of Maine), San Antonio, Virginia, on NPR, Sirius, and various destinations online, to mention but a few.  If you’ve not gotten yourself a copy, you can pick one up at the Bachhaus, you can order one online from The Choir, and they’ll be for sale at the Christmas Concerts.  It’s also available on Amazon, the Analekta website, and will eventually be available on iTunes.  It makes a great holiday present for lovers of great music, for friends and family not yet part of the Bach Choir Family, or for anyone in need of a little musical inspiration.

Like Us!  I recently signed up for Facebook and now am one of four administrators of the Bach Choir’s page.  I will try to spare you the zealotry of the recent convert, but, if you’re on the ‘book, you should definitely “like” The Choir, whose page may be found here.   We ping our Facebook associates every time there’s a new blog post here, and it’s an excellent source of news about The Choir.  If you like what you see, we encourage you to share or repost our posts on your wall.   We believe that the sense of connection we have with our audience is something special about The Choir, and we’re delighted to make use of emerging social media technology to help foster that connection with new generations.  If you like The Choir, maybe you’ll be kind enough to “like” us, and help spread the word!

Christmas Concerts:  I’m planning to write a few posts about the repertoire for our Christmas Concerts, rapidly approaching in December.  We’ve already sold upwards of 600 tickets (between our two venues in Allentown and Bethlehem).  Obviously, I’m biased, but I think a ticket (or tickets) to the concert would make an excellent holiday gift.  You’ve got two great options:  a delightful Saturday night out in Allentown (perhaps dinner out, followed by beautiful music), or a wonderful Sunday afternoon in Bethlehem.  While on the topic, might I further suggest that the First Presbyterian Church in Allentown is an ideal place to hear The Choir? The impression I’d had of the room (singing from the chancel would suggest somewhat dry acoustics) was obliterated last Christmas when I had laryngitis and got to listen to the orchestral rehearsal from the pews.  The Choir and orchestra carry spectacularly in the space, with crystalline clarity.  You’ll hear every note as they are carefully rendered by our musicians.  I’ll be writing about the repertoire in another post, soon.

Archive it!  When I began attending the meetings of our Board of Managers as a Choir Representative a few years ago (I’m now an elected member), the prophecy of a fellow Choir member, Dr. Clarke Woodruff, immediately came true.  He predicted that I’d be blown away by the governance and administration of The Choir, and I’d be impressed by the care with which every decision is made.  I was impressed by all of that, and more!  In addition to the savvy and agile administration of every facet of the organization, there is always activity burbling under the surface at refining and creatively building on over a century of beautiful music-making.   The Choir’s storied history has some wonderful guardians in our Archivist, Dr. Paul Larson, and his colleagues on the Archives committee.  With the assistance of Sarah Baer, our wonderful Administrative Assistant, they now have a live website with a treasure trove of historic documents and supporting materials that we only expect will grow over the coming years.  As part of our Roots of Renewal Initiative (about which you may read more in the Fall Newsletter), there will be some engaging talks throughout the season.  I will keep readers posted about them and all of the activities of the Archive Committee here on the blog.  In the meantime, do visit the Archives website and have a look around!

Share This:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.