Advent and the Nativity through the music of J.S. Bach and Ottorino Respighi
Thank you to everyone who attended the performances and shared this exquisite music with us. We love every bit of it but perhaps nothing more than the fellowship and connections we share as “fellow travelers” (in the word of Dickens) at this time of year, during the carol singing at the conclusion of each performance. Thank you and may your holidays be full of love and light.

Good news!

The concert will be broadcast on WWFM the Classical Network at 8 pm on Monday, December 24. Just click the logo for station information and options for listening. Share the music all over again, with family and friends on Christmas Eve.

Bach and Handel CDs make cherished gifts!

Recorded in Bethlehem in May, 2018, these CDs include:

2-CD Set: J.S. Bach, Cantata BWV 21 and George Frideric Handel, Ode for Saint Cecilia’s Day

$30

Greg Funfgeld conducts The Bach Choir of Bethlehem and Bach Festival Orchestra, with featured soloists:
Cassandra Lemoine, soprano
Rosa Lamoreux, soprano
Daniel Taylor, countertenor
Benjamin Butterfield, tenor
William Sharp, baritone

Single CDs are also available for $17 each.

Treat yourself and friends and family to this exquisite music! Place your order by clicking our “Shop” page or calling 610-866-4382.

Bach at Noon returns to Bethlehem in January!

Join us at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem for our next Bach at Noon on Tuesday, January 8.

Always free and open to the public, this concert series offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy midday spiritual and musical refreshment – treat yourself and a friend!

Please go the “Jump to” box for the repertoire and details for each Bach at Noon concert! Information about directions and parking may be found here. (Click on Central Moravian Church from the list of locations.)

And to hear from our wonderfully dedicated Choir members, explore the links below!

⇒ VOICES from the CHOIR

To take a peek at rehearsal for the Festival: click here!
“A gift I did not ever see coming” : click here!
“…for people to feel what we feel!” : click here!
“…more down-to-earth than people think.” : click here!
“…in our own backyard!” : click here!

Ready to Attend?

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Bach at Noon

Initiated in 2005, this free concert series was designed as a community and economic development initiative educating new audiences about Bach’s music. It includes seven performances throughout the year at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem and three summer concerts at St. John’s Lutheran Church in downtown Allentown. Greg Funfgeld introduces each program with an engaging, informal talk. Bach at Noon has been a phenomenal success attracting audiences of all ages totaling more than 8,000 a year. A frequent response from audience members is, “This is such a blessing!”

This season, we’re thrilled to announce that our Bach at Noon concerts will be broadcast by WWFM, the Classical Network. This award-winning classical music station is listener supported, and has offered a number of Bach Choir concerts in previous seasons. We’re delighted that they’ll be sharing our joyous Bach at Noon concerts with listeners near and far each month!

The schedule for the WWFM broadcasts is shown below, listing the concert, followed by the broadcast date. Note that each month, the broadcasts take place at 1 PM on the second Monday of the month.

2018:
September 11 Bach at Noon / Broadcast on Monday, October 8
October 9 Bach at Noon / Broadcast on Monday, November 12
Click the bold line above to listen to the October 9th concert!

2019:
November 13 Bach at Noon / Broadcast on Monday, January 7
January 8 Bach at Noon / Broadcast on Monday, February 11
February 12 Bach at Noon / Broadcast on Monday, March 11
March 12 Bach at Noon / Broadcast on Monday, April 8
April 9 Bach at Noon / Broadcast on Monday, June 10
June 11 Bach at Noon / Broadcast on Monday, July 8
July 9 Bach at Noon / Broadcast on Monday, August 12

Christmas Concerts

The Choir’s long tradition of offering Christmas music concerts began with the first complete performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in the United States in 1901. Since then, the Choir has continued to bring Bach’s music, along with the sacred Christmas music of other composers, including more contemporary pieces, to the community with its annual December concerts in Allentown and Bethlehem.

Family Concerts

Initiated in 2000, the annual Family Concerts are imaginative, collaborative, interactive concerts that feature professional and student artists in the fields of music, dance, theater, visual arts, and poetry, performing with the full Bach Choir and Bach Festival Orchestra. For many parents, the Family Concert offers the perfect opportunity to introduce their children to Bach, classical music and a live performance.

Spring Concerts

Welcoming the spring and celebrating the sacred Easter season with the music of J.S. Bach has been a long been a tradition of The Bach Choir of Bethlehem. Centerpieces of these performances over the years have included Bach’s Jesu, meine Freude and The Passion According to Saint John, along with the works of more contemporary composers including Leonard Bernstein, Benjamin Britten and Morten Lauridsen.

112th Bethlehem Bach Festival

Our largest event of the year takes place in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on the campus of Lehigh University and on the historic grounds of the Moravian community. The Festival is a glorious tradition treasured by thousands of people from throughout the United States and beyond since the American premiere of Bach’s monumental Mass at the first Bethlehem Bach Festival in 1900. The Festival is presented each year over two weekends in May, and includes guest artists-in-residence, featured young musicians, lectures and chorale sings with the audience.

More! Full Festival Info

Gala Concert & Fundraiser

Peter Serkin

Building on the successful presentation of such high profile artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Dave Brubeck, Emma Kirkby, Tiempo Libre, Hilary Hahn, the Swingle Singers, Eliot Fisk, the American Boychoir, Bach Collegium Japan, Roomful of Teeth and Thomanerchor, the annual Gala is a fundraiser and a fun musical and social event featuring Bach connections in different genres with guest artists at the top of their field.

Download Gala Invitation

Download Gala Concert Ticket Order Form

The Gala Committee is working very hard to present an inviting and eclectic selection of of Auction items at this year’s event! Click the button below for a peek at the items up for bid. We’ll continue to update this over the next few weeks – so check back before November 3rd!

Don’t miss your chance to make a contribution and take home an outstanding item! (Can’t attend the Gala but would like to bid on one of our Live Auction items? Send an email to cheryl@bach.org with your bid! We’ll notify you if you’ve won following our event. )

Download 2018 Auction Item List