Highlights of the latest classical music calendar include the 118th Bach Festival of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem and a performance of \u201cCarmina Burana\u201d by Kutztown University choral and orchestra students with the Reading Choral Society.<\/p>\n
The \u201c118th Bach Festival\u201d is May 7-10 in Bethlehem.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am really excited to offer our second year of the Festival four-day format with most offerings all in close proximity,\u201d says Christopher Jackson, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, adding, \u201cWe offer local history of the Lehigh Valley and world-class music.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Festival opens at 7 p.m. May 7, Musikfest Caf\u00e9, ArtsQuest Center, SteelStacks, with the Grammy Award-winning trio Time for Three performing a fusion of classical music, Americana, rock and jazz.<\/p>\n
Returning for a second year is \u201cBach Choir Films from the Archives,\u201d moderated by Bach Choir Archivist Cory Dieterly, 11 a.m. May 8, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University.<\/p>\n
The Barnette Distinguished Scholar Lecture by Dr. Sarah Eberly, 2 p.m. May 8, Zoellner Arts Center, is about the rich interplay between J. S. Bach\u2019s musical legacy and the early Moravian traditions.<\/p>\n
Two \u201cBach Chorale Sings\u201d will be held. The first session, 3:30 p.m. May 8, Incarnation of our Lord Church, Bethlehem, features Artists-in-Residence Synnet, vocal soloists and Bach Choir members and precedes the 4 p.m. \u201cBach at 4\u201d concert.<\/p>\n
The second session, 2 p.m. May 9, Packer Memorial Church, Lehigh University, precedes the 2:30 p.m. \u201cMass in B Minor, BWV 232\u201d Part 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cBach at 8,\u201d 8 p.m. May 8, Packer Memorial Church, pairs J.S. Bach\u2019s \u201cMass in A Major\u201d with W.A. Mozart\u2019s \u201cMass in C Minor.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ifor Jones Memorial Chamber Music Concert,\u201d 10:30 a.m. May 9, Baker Hall, Zoellner Arts Center, features Synnet and Bach Festival Orchestra in J.S. Bach\u2019s \u201cThe Musical Offering.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bel Canto Youth Chorus of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem performs at 11:45 a.m. May 9, Lobby, Zoellner Arts Center.<\/p>\n
The Bach Choir\u2019s performance of J.S. Bach\u2019s \u201cMass in B Minor BWV 232\u201d is May 9, Packer Memorial Church, with Part 1 at 2:30 p.m. and Part 2 at 4:30 p.m. The sessions are available as live-streams.<\/p>\n
\u201cZimmermann\u2019s Coffeehouse,\u201d 7 p.m. May 9, Peter Hall, Moravian University, is chamber music performed by auditioned young musicians in a caf\u00e9-style setting. Light refreshments are available for purchase.<\/p>\n
\u201cChamber Music in the Saal,\u201d 11 a.m. May 10, Moravian Museum, Bethlehem, features Loren Ludwig, virtuoso viola da gamba player and music researcher.<\/p>\n
The Bethlehem Bach Festival concludes at 2:30 p.m. May 10, Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks with \u201cThe Testament of Freedom,\u201d a collaborative \u201cAmerica250\u201d performance of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem and the Allentown Band.<\/p>\n
Guest artists include sopranos Sherezade Panthaki and Katelyn Grace Jackson, mezzo-soprano Meg Bragle, tenor James Reese and bass-baritone Edmund Milly.<\/p>\n
\u201c118th Bethlehem Bach Festival,\u201d May 7-10; Ticket information: Bach Choir office, 440 Heckewelder Place, Bethlehem; office@bach.org; 610-866-4328 ext. 110 or 115; https:\/\/bach.org\/ticket\/<\/p>\n
The Kutztown University Choir, Orchestra and Reading Choral Society present \u201cCarmina Burana,\u201d 7:30 p.m. May 8, Schaeffer Auditorium, Kutztown University, Kutztown.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s an energy which comes with Carl Orff\u2019s \u2018Carmina Burana,\u2019 one that transfers from the notes on the page to the voices, both vocally and instrumentally,\u2019 says Derrick Thompson, Kutztown University Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe students are excited and there\u2019s something about the score that taps youth,\u201d says Peter Isaacson, KU Orchestra Director and Professor of Violin Studies, adding, \u201cIt\u2019s rhythmical, whimsical and full of energy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCarmina Burana,\u201d written in the 13th century, is a manuscript of 254 poems which can be grouped according to theme: songs of morals and mockery, love songs, drinking and gaming songs, and two longer spiritual theater pieces.<\/p>\n
The collection was discovered in 1803. Composer Carl Orff set 24 poems to music. The song, \u201cO Fortuna,\u201d is the most popular song of the cantata.<\/p>\n
Explains Graham Bier, Reading Choral Society Music Director and conductor of the concert, \u201c\u2018Carmina Burana\u2019 is a large-scale work that resonates well with audiences and singers alike and it\u2019s great to have KU here with such a strong music department which allows us to share this experience with our community ensemble and student ensembles.\u201d<\/p>\n
The concert has three soloists: soprano Olivia Prendergast, baritone Antonio Watts and countertenor Augustine Mercante.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is our 150th anniversary and this work is our grand finale to the celebrations,\u201d says Bier.<\/p>\n
Founded in 1875, the Reading Choral Society is one of America\u2019s oldest music ensembles. The 80-voice ensemble is comprised of amateur singers. Bier has been conductor since 2015.<\/p>\n
Kutztown University Choir, Orchestra and Reading Choral Society present \u201cCarmina Burana, 7:30 p.m. May 8, Schaeffer Auditorium, Kutztown University, 15229 Kutztown Road, Kutztown. Tickets: Box office 610-683-4092; https:\/\/Kutztown.edu.music<\/p>\n
Classical View\u201d is a column about classical music concerts, conductors and performers. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY DAVID ASPINWALLSynnet at 118th Bach Fest.<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY SHERVIN LAINEZTime for Three at Bach Festival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Highlights of the latest classical music calendar include the 118th Bach Festival of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":181099,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154],"class_list":["post-181098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181098"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181098\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/181099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}