A Celebration of the Choral Arts

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem performs its spring concert, “A Celebration of the Choral Arts,” at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church on Sun., March 18 at 4 p.m. in the Sanctuary. The church is located at 625 Montgomery Ave. in Bryn Mawr.

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, meins 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. The concert gives eloquent expression to both cosmic praise and deep intimacy.

Fans of “The Crown” TV series 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. Rutter’s joyful Gloria, composed 20 years later, contains fanfares aplenty and a rhapsodically lyrical middle movement. Lauridsen’s stunningly evocative compositions offer challenging and crystalline music for choir and piano.

“I’m very excited about this combination of pieces, their power and beauty, and the rich variety they represent,” Funfgeld said. “There is truly something for everyone!”

The oldest American Bach Choir, 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. Founded in 1898, the now-famous Choir has been attracting thousands of visitors from across the United States and beyond to the annual Bethlehem Bach Festival in Pennsylvania.

Tickets are $39 for adults and $9 for students. Group discounts available. To order tickets or for more information, visit www.bach.org or call 610-866-4382.

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About The Bach Choir of Bethlehem:

Since 1983, under Greg Funfgeld’s direction, the 100 dedicated volunteer singers of The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, 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; the BBC Proms in London’s Royal Albert Hall as part of an eight-concert tour of the United Kingdom in 2003; and Severance Hall, Cleveland for the 75th anniversary of the Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival in 2007. In September 2011, The Bach Choir represented the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in a 10th anniversary musical observance of 9/11 in New York City, giving concerts in St. Paul’s Chapel and Trinity Church, Wall Street.

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.