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| Bach Choir of Bethlehem | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bach Choir of Bethlehem |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Founder | John Frederick McClintock |
| Location | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania |
| Genre | Choral music |
| Members | volunteer singers |
| Principal conductor | [See Organization and Leadership] |
Bach Choir of Bethlehem is an American choral ensemble based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, known for its annual performances of the Mass in B minor and St. Matthew Passion and its long history as a presenter of Johann Sebastian Bach's works. Founded in 1898, the choir has become a central institution in American choral life, connecting to regional and international musical currents through tours, recordings, and collaborations with orchestras, soloists, and conservatories.
The choir was founded in 1898 by John Frederick McClintock as part of a late-19th-century interest in Johann Sebastian Bach sparked by performances in the United States and Europe. Early performances reflected influences from the Bach Revival and traditions established by figures like Felix Mendelssohn and institutions such as the Bachfest Leipzig and St. Thomas Church, Leipzig. Over the 20th century the ensemble evolved alongside American organizations including the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Metropolitan Opera, benefiting from collaborations with conductors modeled on practices of Eugene Ormandy and Leopold Stokowski. Tours and festival appearances linked the choir to international venues like the Royal Albert Hall, the Gewandhaus, and the Salzburg Festival, while commissioning activity aligned it with composers in the line of Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, and Benjamin Britten.
The choir operates as a nonprofit corporation in the borough of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and maintains governance structures similar to those of the Carnegie Hall resident organizations. Artistic leadership has included notable conductors and music directors who shaped repertoire and standards, comparable to figures associated with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Administrative partnerships have involved arts councils and foundations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and philanthropic supporters patterned after the Guggenheim Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
The ensemble's core repertoire centers on the choral works of Johann Sebastian Bach, notably the Mass in B minor and the St Matthew Passion, performed in historical and modern instrumentations influenced by scholarship emerging from the Early Music movement and institutions like the Musicalisches Wissenshaft tradition and conservatories such as the Juilliard School. The choir's programming also embraces works by George Frideric Handel, Domenico Scarlatti, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Antonín Dvořák, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Igor Stravinsky, Benjamin Britten, Carl Orff, and contemporary composers in the lineage of Krzysztof Penderecki and Arvo Pärt. Festival cycles and subscription series have linked performances to orchestras and ensembles like the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the American Symphony Orchestra.
Commercial and archival recordings place the choir alongside labels and broadcasters such as Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Classical, Naxos, BBC Radio 3, National Public Radio, and public broadcasting entities similar to WQXR. Recordings of major works have involved collaborations with soloists trained at institutions like the Curtis Institute of Music and the Royal College of Music, and engineers working in studios patterned after Abbey Road Studios techniques. Broadcast appearances and streaming partnerships have increased the choir's reach to audiences in the United States, Europe, and Asia, paralleling distribution channels used by ensembles such as the Vienna Boys' Choir and the Monteverdi Choir.
Educational initiatives mirror programs at conservatories and community music organizations including the Curtis Institute of Music, the Mannes School of Music, and the Scola Cantorum Basiliensis. The choir's outreach has included youth choruses, workshops, and pre-concert lectures modeled on practices at the Kimmel Center and university music departments like the Eastman School of Music and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Partnerships with regional schools, historic societies such as the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, and civic entities follow examples set by cultural institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution.
Over its history the choir has received critical acclaim and awards analogous to honors from organizations such as the Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and regional cultural awards given by state arts councils. Critical reviews in publications comparable to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer have chronicled major performances and leadership tenures. Honorary affiliations and invitations to international festivals place the ensemble among peer institutions like the Berlin Philharmonic Choir and the Netherlands Bach Society.
The choir's home venue in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has hosted concerts in spaces reflecting architecture and acoustics similar to historic halls like Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall (Boston), and Walt Disney Concert Hall. The organization also performs in regional churches and colleges, collaborating with campuses such as Lehigh University and venues like the Zoellner Arts Center. Touring has brought the ensemble to concert halls and churches across North America and Europe, placing it in venues associated with ensembles such as the Tallis Scholars and the Choir of King's College, Cambridge.
Category:Choirs in Pennsylvania