ABOUT US
Bach in Baltimore Makes Great Music in Great Spaces
OUR MISSION
Bach in Baltimore’s mission is to perform the choral and instrumental works of Johann Sebastian Bach (and his contemporaries) and to educate the concert-going public about the musical language of Bach and the texts he chose to set to music.
We strive each month to present these works in a historically informed way that will enrich the lives of our audience members and inspire creativity. We wish to foster an appreciation for the arts, particularly for Baroque music, within the entire community. We are committed to providing educational experiences for people of all ages in order to instill a lifelong connection Bach’s music.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD
Reaching for a higher level
Thirty-six years ago, in 1987, our Maestro T. Herbert Dimmock created this amazing musical ensemble, and every year since Bach in Baltimore has delivered on its mission to bring the highest quality performances of Bach and baroque music to our city and neighboring towns in Maryland.
In addition to the great music we play for you each month, we continuously challenge ourselves to give back to our communities by helping three distinct groups: the elderly, our youths, and aspiring artists. For our elderly, we perform each season up to 10 concerts in retirement homes, bringing music into the lives of those who are unable to get to concerts they love. For our young ones, each year we invite school groups from around Maryland to perform in public with us. It’s a unique opportunity for these children to sing with our choir and orchestra, guided by our tireless Maestro Dimmock. Finally, each year our Maestro searches out and invites aspiring young musicians to give them the visibility they so deserve and thereby, with luck, a little career boost.
As the second largest musical ensemble in Maryland, we are proud of our achievements, and with your support we aspire to ever higher levels in the excellence of our performances and in our ability to contribute to our communities.
More than ever, we wish to share and perpetuate the beauty of baroque music with the widest audience possible and particularly with the young children who, today, have little exposure to classical music. And since words mean little if they are not followed by actions, we have made two of this season’s concerts totally free for all children under 18, with the express desire and hope that you, our faithful patrons, will take advantage of this opportunity to initiate your children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews to the wonderful world of Bach and baroque music. Look for the dates of our “children come free” concerts and help us perpetuate an appreciation for the music you love by organizing an outing that is sure to expand their horizons.
We hope to continue to earn your generous support and welcome you to our 36th season.
David Pumphrey Nes, Board President
BACH IN BALTIMORE – A MARYLAND TREASURE
We are proud to present each and every piece that comprises this splendid 2023-24 season. It contains many works that no other arts organization in Maryland will perform this season—or maybe ever. Bach in Baltimore is Maryland’s Baroque specialist, dedicated to performing both the best known, beloved classics and the highly worthy, but lesser-known, works by Telemann, Albinoni, Handel, and Bach.
I plan concerts with you, our patrons, in mind. You, like me, love the great Baroque classics such as Brandenburg Concerti, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s B Minor Mass and more. I feature one at each concert. I’ve spent a lifetime studying Baroque music and take delight in finding the very best works that I can pair with those better-known pieces. Some of my favorites—perhaps not previously known to you—will be featured this season, including one of my personal ‘top ten,’ Handel Israel in Egypt. With over 100 musicians on stage, you will experience the epic story of the exodus from Egypt. The sounds of buzzing flies and leaping frogs, hailstones and lighting are all brilliantly evoked by the double choirs and orchestra dramatizing the flight of the Israelites from captivity in Egypt, through the plagues, pestilence, floods, and across the parted Red Sea to salvation. Bach Cantata 51: Jauchzet Gott in Allen Landen is also on my list. The cantata features an amazing virtuoso trumpeter in dialogue with a soprano. The cantata is a magnificent example of Bach’s mastery of expressive writing. Did you know that Telemann was offered the job as cantor in Leipzig? He declined the offer and the town council “settled” for Bach! In recent years, my appreciation of Telemann has grown. His compositions are splendid. I know you’ll agree when you hear our performance of the telemann Concerto for 2 Oboes and Bassoon.
There’s more. I choose concert locations throughout the metropolitan area to treat you to a visual feast. Our concerts are held in many of the region’s most important, beautiful spaces (all with free parking). Grand rococo buildings, neo-Baroque buildings, repurposed buildings and the best of recently built structures are all open to you as we perform throughout central Maryland each season.
Plato said: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” Our modern era presents us with many challenges. Change is rapid and social issues are confounding. I firmly believe that making great music is a part of the answer to the many challenges that face us. I believe that music ennobles us; unites us; speaks a universal language; bridges gaps of race, creed and color; and knows no bounds. This is our gift to you, and we owe it to ourselves to feast on this priceless heritage.
Reciprocate. Attend concerts. Tell your friends what a Maryland treasure Bach in Baltimore is. Make a donation. We promise – it’s a sound investment!
MEET THE MAESTRO
T. Herbert Dimmock is considered one of the foremost Baroque experts in the country, and his conducting credits include nearly all the oratorios and anthems of Handel, all the major Bach works, and 160 Bach Cantatas. He has conducted the music of Bach in the U.S., Germany, Canada, and England, working with many of the world’s most accomplished singers and instrumentalists.
Maestro Dimmock is also an accomplished organist, having played recitals at many of the world’s most prestigious sites. In addition to his work as founder and music director of Bach in Baltimore, Dimmock has served as music director of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral in Harrisburg, PA for five years, retiring in the fall of 2018, as well as the choir director at Chizuk Amuno Synagogue in Pikesville, MD. Other past church posts include The Cathedral of the Incarnation (Episcopal) and First English Lutheran Church—both in Baltimore—and The Handel Choir of Baltimore, where he was music director for 25 years and is now honored with the title of Music Director Emeritus. Maestro Dimmock has a BA from Davidson College, a MM from Peabody Institute, and extensive continuing educational credits at universities in the U.S. and Germany. He has served as part time faculty at Johns Hopkins University and the College of Notre Dame. Honors include commendations from the State of Maryland, a “Baltimore’s Best” award, and serving on task forces in the arts for the Governor of Maryland and the Pew Trust in Philadelphia.
He states that “Even as a child, I felt a calling to be a musician. I began singing in choir at church and studying piano at age six. By the time I was in high school I was subbing for our church organist in worship services and accompanying choirs in both school and church.
For me, the hymn writer got it exactly right when he said: “how oft in making music have we found, a new dimension in the world of sound, as music brings us to a more profound ‘alleluia.’ In a nutshell, that sums up how I feel. I have been blessed with many superb opportunities to study music, perform music and work with others in the making of music. Those opportunities deepen my understanding of humanity, our understanding of God, build bridges between people and bring me closer to those around me.”
OUR CHOIR & ORCHESTRA
Over 100 vocalists and musicians call Bach in Baltimore their artistic home!
Under the direction of Maestro T. Herbert Dimmock, our own Bach in Baltimore Choir now harmonizes more than 50 heavenly voices and our Bach in Baltimore Orchestra is 30 members strong. In addition, Bach in Baltimore features over 20 renowned guest musicians and vocalists in rotation at nearly every concert.
But we always have room for more.
The Bach In Baltimore Concert Choir warmly welcomes experienced singers in all sections to join us. Bach in Baltimore is a friendly group of talented singers who enjoy singing great choral music together. Virtual rehearsals via ZOOM are on Sunday evenings at 5 pm, September through May. In addition, there is one Tuesday evening rehearsal each month at 7:30 pm.
Members of Bach in Baltimore are expected to be faithful in attendance. Members pay a modest annual membership fee of $150. Where possible, the music that the choristers need may be printed out at no cost from online resources. Bach in Baltimore purchases copies of large works as well as works still under copyright for resale to the members of the chorus.
For more information or to schedule an audition, contact Maestro Dimmock at: bachconcertseries@
Do You Need More Incentive to Join Our Choir?
Read Our Top Ten Reasons To Join Our Choir!
COMMUNITY & EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING
Maryland State Boys Choir
Bach in Baltimore is committed to engaging with everyone in our community because we strongly believe that music and the arts need to be accessible now more than ever.
To serve the youngest in our community, we created the Student Musician Exchange. This program is one of the most extensive music education programs in Maryland. The design of the program is two-fold: to provide students with an opportunity to expand their musical literature and language knowledge by working directly with Maestro Dimmock, and to give students the chance to sing for an appreciative audience—both alongside the Bach Choir & Orchestra and individually.
Additionally, we provide Community Outreach Concerts at a variety of residential living facilities for the residents who cannot make it out to our First Sunday or Beyond Bach Concerts. Offered throughout the season for FREE, these concerts are open to the public. Patrons may join us at any Outreach Community Concert to enjoy, along with the residents, a beautiful and uplifting concert featuring our Bach in Baltimore Choir.