Bach Choir Of Bethlehem Performs For First Time On State Theatre Stage

The Bach Choir is making history by performing at the historic State Theatre Center for the Arts for very first time.

As part of his 35th season, Greg Funfgeld directs two festive master-works for choir and brass by William Walton and John Rutter, combined with J.S. Bach's Cantata 118 O Jesu Christ, mein Lebens Licht (O Jesus Christ, light of my life), and Morten Lauridsen's earliest choral cycle, the Mid-Winter Songs on poetry by Robert Graves.

• Fans of "The Crown" will especially enjoy Walton's ebullient Coronation Te Deum, which was composed for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953, and features lush double-choir writing and infectious rhythm.
• John Rutter's joyful Gloria, composed 20 years later, contains fanfares aplenty and a rhapsodically lyrical middle movement.
• Lauridsen's setting of the Robert Graves poetry charts the wayward romantic fortunes of the poet in a stunningly evocative composition, with the crystal clarity and shimmering text painting of its virtuosic music for choir and piano.
• Bach's Cantata 118 O Jesu Christ, mein Lebens Licht, is one of the last choral works composed by Bach, performed here in the version for a Leipzig funeral procession, a mesmerizing blend of voices and brass.

The women managing these historic and formidable Lehigh Valley arts organizations are gratified and excited to bring them together for this performance. "In this season of musical milestones for the Choir, we are particularly excited to present our Spring Celebration of the Choral Art in the beautiful and historic State Theatre. Two Lehigh Valley arts communities, both with significant histories, coming together to present this to the community - it's going to be a breathtaking evening," says Bridget George, executive director of The Bach Choir of Bethlehem. "The Bach Choir and the State Theatre are two iconic organizations, and combining them will make for an extraordinary event", comments State Theatre President & CEO Shelley Brown. "We are so excited to present the Choir's exquisite music. It will be an event to remember."

Artistic director and conductor Greg Funfgeld is enthusiastic about this glorious program. "I'm very excited about this combination of pieces, their power and beauty, and the rich variety they represent. There is truly something for everyone! The Walton and Rutter pieces are incredibly festive and will remind listeners of lots of the music they love - from Gregorian chant in the Rutter, to the Pomp and Circumstance marches of Sir Edward Elgar, to film soundtracks including "Star Wars" by John Williams (composed just three years after the Rutter Gloria), and Danny Elfman's "Batman" score, reminiscent of Walton. It's a banquet of musical styles and ideas. These works are written for large brass bands - four trumpets, four French horns, three trombones, tuba, and a battery of percussion instruments. The combined sound is thrilling, unforgettable and spine-tingling. The Bach Cantata is one of the most touching pieces, written for a funeral procession from the Church to the cemetery - music of peaceful repose and quiet faith - it's gorgeous. Morten Lauridsen is one of the most sought-after and highly respected composers of our time. His exquisite and highly evocative setting of the poetry of Robert Graves is a masterwork of the choral literature. From painting incredible pictures to interpreting the insightful and penetrating poetry of Graves (also author of "I, Claudius" and "Goodbye to All That"). The writing for piano and for The Choir is virtuosic - the entire program is a tour-de-force for all involved. We are eager to share these musical offerings with our friends at The State Theatre."

Saturday, March 17, 2018 7:30pm

State Theatre Center for the Performing Arts

Easton, PA

Adults: $42 Orchestra/$39 balcony Students: $15 Group Discounts available.

For tickets and information, please call State Theatre Box Office at 610-252-3132 or 800-999-7828 or go online at statetheatre.org.

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem gave the first complete American performances of Bach's Mass in B Minor in 1900 and Christmas Oratorio in 1901. Since its founding in 1898, the Choir has been attracting thousands of visitors from across the United States and around the world to the annual Bethlehem Bach Festival in Pennsylvania. Since 1983, under Greg Funfgeld's direction, the 85 dedicated volunteer singers of The Bach Choir, performing with the Bach Festival Orchestra and distinguished soloists, have received international acclaim. Venues have included the Herkulessaal at Munich's Royal Residence and the Thomaskirche, Bach's church in Leipzig, as part of the 1995 Germany tour; The Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall as part of The Choir's Centennial Celebration in 1998-2000; a performance for the BBC Proms in London's Royal Albert Hall as part of an eight-concert tour of the United Kingdom in 2003; and a performance as part of the 75th anniversary of the Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival in Severance Hall, Cleveland in 2007. In 2011, The Choir was chosen to represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in a series of concerts entitled Remember to Love, presented in observance of the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 at Saint Paul's Chapel and Trinity Church, Wall Street in New York City. In 2013, The Choir returned to the Washington D.C. area for a performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah at the Music Center at Strathmore. In 2014, The Choir commissioned a one-act comic opera Young Meister Bach by Chuck Holdeman, composer, and Bill Bly, librettist, which was performed in Bethlehem and in Philadelphia for the 250th anniversary of the German Society of Pennsylvania.

The Choir has released seven recordings of Bach works, in addition to the popular four-volume Christmas in Bethlehem. Recordings for Analekta include Bach's Magnificat and Cantata 191, and Vivaldi's Gloria (2009), Songs of Hope (2011), Saint John Passion (2012), and A Child's Christmas in Bethlehem (2013). The Choir has been featured on National Public Radio's Performance Today and Prairie Home Companion, Deutsche Radio, the BBC World Service, CBS Sunday Morning, and the Emmy award-winning PBS documentary on The Choir, Make a Joyful Noise. In addition to the annual Bethlehem Bach Festival, the concert season in Bethlehem includes Christmas and Spring Concerts; a Family Concert; Bach at Noon-a series of free concerts in historic Central Moravian Church, Bethlehem and St. John's Lutheran Church, Allentown; and Bach to School-an outstanding educational outreach program that has now been presented for more than 110,000 children. Mr. Bach Comes to Call, a film based on the acclaimed Classical Kids CD, was produced by The Bach Choir of Bethlehem in collaboration with Touchstone Theatre and GreenTreks Network in 2007. It has been broadcast nationally on PBS and is distributed internationally by The Children's Group. The Bach Choir is supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2013, The Bach Choir was the first American recipient of an award from the J.S. Bach Foundation in Switzerland.

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