BACH IN BALTIMORE ENTERS ITS 32^ND YEAR WITH AN EXPANDED REPERTOIRE WHILE REMAINING THE ONLY PREMIER BALTIMORE ENSEMBLE TO PERFORM REGULARLY THE CANTATAS OF J.S. BACH

Updated on August 9, 2019

(BALTIMORE, MD)—Bach in Baltimore, now entering its 32rd year of offering the Baltimore region with a full season of exceptional and affordable Baroque music concerts, is thrilled to announce its 2019-2020 Season: Baroque Greatest Hits, featuring an expanded repertoire for a growing audience while remaining the only ensemble in central Maryland to regularly perform the cantatas of J.S. Bach.

Bach in Baltimore may be on summer hiatus, but don’t tell that to Music Director and Maestro T. Herbert Dimmock, who energetically prepares for a fresh round of choral auditions; rehearses for an upcoming free summer community concert at a local residential living facility; and gushes enthusiastically about the 2019-2020 Season of First Sunday Concerts. “In 2019-2020, Bach in Baltimore is performing the two of the top six choral works of all time—Bach’s B Minor Mass and Handel’s Messiah. Plus, we will present a world premiere opera, increase our number of instrumental concerts, and continue to highlight Bach’s cantatas regularly throughout the year. Not only that, our audiences are treated to tours of many of the most beautiful venues in the greater Baltimore region. There is no better way to appreciate the uplifting music of Bach than to experience it in a gorgeous setting,” says Dimmock.

Bach in Baltimore was founded in 1988 by Dimmock, initially performing only in the historic First English Lutheran Church on N. Charles Street, followed by Christ Lutheran Church in the Inner Harbor, Baltimore. At first, the group dedicated itself solely to performing a repertoire of J.S. Bach’s cantatas, which consists of 200 surviving works that represent Bach’s life’s work and are some of the most beautiful music to come out of the Baroque and are considered some of the greatest musical works of all time. Dimmock, a Baroque musical expert, accompanies these remarkable gems with fascinating insights on Bach’s highly personal and nuanced musical language before each piece is performed at any given concert, which audience members have said again and again greatly enhances their concert experience.

Today, Bach in Baltimore has expanded its repertoire, programming, and audience. “We have stretched outside of our normal song catalog to perform Verdi’s Requiem for the 2018 Baltimore Community Yom HaShoah commemoration, and in 2019, we partnered with the award-winning Children’s Chorus of Carroll County to perform the celebrated works of contemporary composer John Rutter,” says Dimmock. In the 2019-2020 season, Bach in Baltimore will continue to expand by showcasing a World Premiere of a contemporary opera Adam and Eve by Maryland composer Hollis Thoms and offering a concert homage dedicated to “the father of symphony” Franz Joseph Haydn. We will also offer more instrumental concerts featuring such Baroque favorites as Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, Telemann’s Tafelmusik I: Ouverture in E minor, Bach’s “Air on the G String” from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, and more. However, our two biggest concerts of the year will feature Baroque staples: Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s B Minor Mass.

In addition to repertoire expansion, Bach in Baltimore has increased its First Sunday Concert Series from nice to eleven concerts performed at a variety of venues including First Lutheran Church in Ellicott City; Central Presbyterian Church and Towson United Methodist Church in Towson; and Church of the Redeemer, Zion Lutheran Church, and St. Casimir’s Church in Baltimore. Also, we perform up to eleven free community concerts at area residential living facilities each season, bringing inspiring music to those who are less fortunate and cannot get about.

One more thriving program that Bach in Baltimore operates, serving the younger members of our community, is the Student Voice Exchange (SVE) Choir program. One of the largest music education programs in Maryland, the SVE Choir program is designed to involve students in music education by allowing them to work directly with Maestro, attend and participate in concerts for FREE (with parents receiving significant discounts on tickets as well), and further their knowledge of classical music. In our 2019-2020 Season, Bach in Baltimore will work with and feature eight SVE Choirs at our First Sunday Concerts.

The 2019-2020 Season of Baroque Greatest Hits will feature a 45 member-strong Bach in Baltimore Choir, full professional orchestra, and more than twenty exceptional vocal soloists, and we always have room to welcome new singers! Interested singers are encouraged to email Maestro Dimmock at bachconcertseries@bachinbaltimore.org to set up an audition.

Bach in Baltimore offers several discount pricing options including a Full Season Pass, Mini Pass, and group ticket discounts. Passes and individual tickets for all concerts are available for purchase at BachinBaltimore.org or by calling 410-941-9262. A chronological listing of 2019-2020 First Sunday Concert Series events is below. Please note that Bach in Baltimore’s performance venues vary—we perform across the greater Baltimore metropolitan area. Please consult the full schedule listed below for performance times and locations.

2019/2020 SEASON OF FIRST SUNDAY CONCERTS
Baroque Greatest Hits

Baroque Oktoberfest
Sunday, October 6 at 4 p.m.
Christ Lutheran Church, Inner Harbor, Baltimore

Bach’s Cantata 20: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort
Telemann’s Tafelmusik II: Ouverture Suite in D major

Kristen Dubenion-Smith, Alto
Matthew Loyal Smith, Tenor Phillip Collister, Bass

Can’t make it to Munich this fall? Don’t worry! Bach in Baltimore opens its 2019-2020 season with a taste of the rich and delicious German Baroque music traditions in our Baroque Oktoberfest Concert, featuring Bach’s rousing Cantata 20 that begins with a march fit for a king and showcases a spirited chorus, a trio of oboes, bright brass aria for trumpet, and solos for alto and tenor. It is paired with Telemann’s lively Tafelmusik II: Ouverture Suite in D major, which represents the peak of sixteenth-century courtly table music. It is a perfect way to kick off our season of the Baroque Greatest Hits. Join us immediately after the concert to enjoy some great beer and German wursts with the Maestro and members of the Bach in Baltimore Choir!

Tickets: $25 Regular / $27 Door

Reflections and Renewal
Sunday, November 3 at 4 p.m.
Christ Lutheran Church, Inner Harbor, Baltimore

Hollis Thoms’ Adam & Eve
Cantata 165: O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad
Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik (allegro)

Sarah Bleasdale, Soprano
Maria Sheehan, Alto
Kristopher Jean, Tenor
Jason Thoms, Bass

Bach in Baltimore is overjoyed to welcome back contemporary composer Hollis Thoms in the world premiere performance of his newest opera, Adam and Eve, featuring returning soloists Jason Thoms as Adam; Sarah Bleasdale as Eve; and Kristopher Jean and Maria Sheehan as Satan/Serpent. The original opera will be paired with Bach’s Cantata 165: O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, a watery and poetic piece that conjures images of purification of the soul through baptism and the Adam and Eve story.

Tickets: $25 Regular / $27 Door

Handel’s Messiah
Saturday, December 7 at 7 p.m.
First Lutheran Church, Ellicott City
AND
Sunday, December 8 at 3 p.m. St. Casimir, Baltimore

Elissa Edwards, Soprano
Jessica Renfro, Alto
Dr. Min Jin, Tenor
Lorenzo Zapata, Bass

There is no better way to usher in the spirit of the season than with the magnificent Handel’s Messiah. For over three centuries, Handel’s masterpiece has inspired and enthralled audiences with its glorious sound and powerful message. Messiah reigns supreme as the ultimate celebration of holiday cheer with its stirring “Hallelujah Chorus.” Lift your voices with ours in this time-tested seasonal showstopper.

Tickets: $40 Regular / $42 Door

New Year’s Day Celebration

Wednesday, January 1 at 4.m.
Central Presbyterian Church, Towson

Greet the dawn of 2020 with old and new friends at our annual New Year’s Day Celebration, featuring Baroque instrumental favorites selected by our beloved first chair musicians on flute, oboe, cello, and harpsichord. Maestro T. Herbert Dimmock will also join the celebration on the organ. There is no better way to welcome the new year!

Tickets: $25 Regular / $27 Door

Winter Lights
January 5 at 4 p.m.
Church of the Redeemer, Baltimore

Bach’s Christmas Oratorio Part V: Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen
Bach’s Cantata 153: Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind
Albinoni’s Oboe Concerto Opus 9, No. 2

Kerry Holahan, Soprano
Janna Critz, Alto
Kyle Tomlin, Tenor
Ross Tomaccio, Bass

The holidays may be over, but that doesn’t mean the good cheer needs to end. Enjoy a festive concert including the exuberant Bach Christmas Oratorio Part V: Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen, and passionate Bach Cantata 153: Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind¸ a striking cantata that opens with a lively four-part chorale. We conclude the afternoon celebration of music with neo-Baroque composer Tomaso Albinoni’s innovative Oboe Concerto Opus 9, No. 2, considered the first Italian work for the oboe, an emerging instrument in the early eighteenth century.

Tickets: $25 Regular / $27 Door

Midwinter Baroque Daydream
February 2 at 4 p.m.
First Lutheran Church, Ellicott City

Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
Telemann’s Tafelmusik I: Ouverture in E minor
C.P.E. Bach’s Cello Concerto in A minor
Bach’s Concerto for two harpsichords

The Baroque period ushered into being some of the greatest instrumental music of all time—intricate, robust, and innovative sounds that lift the soul, unburden the mind, and burst with joy. Our Midwinter Baroque Daydream offers you an afternoon escape from winter’s chill with the best of the best, including Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, which with be paired with Telemann’s masterpiece Tafelmusik I: Ouverture in E minor and Bach’s unique Concerto for two harpsichords. We conclude with Bach’s son and Telemann’s godson, C.P.E. Bach’s Cello Concerto in A minor.

Tickets: $25 Regular / $27 Door

A Haydn Affair
March 1 at 4 p.m.
TBA

Heiligmesse, Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida
Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat major

Sarah Hayashi, Soprano
Jennifer Mayer, Alto
Joseph Regan, Tenor
David Dimmock, Bass

Bach in Baltimore is thrilled to perform A Haydn Affair in honor of the ‘father of the symphony.’ We open with his glorious Heiligmesse, Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida in B-flat major, a sumptuous mass featuring the full Bach in Baltimore Choir; soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; and gorgeous instrumentation with oboes, clarinets, bassoons, trumpets, timpani, and organ. The afternoon concludes with Haydn’s “profound, airy, affecting and original” (London Morning Herald, 1792) Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat major. This melodic and timeless concerto balances four solo instruments (violin, cello, oboe, and bassoon). Don’t miss our dynamic homage to Haydn.

Tickets: $40 Regular / $42 Door

Oboe Lovers Delight & BachFest
April 5 at 4 p.m.
Zion Lutheran Church, Baltimore

Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C major
Vivaldi’s Concerto for two oboes
Albinoni’s Concerto for two oboes Op 9, No. 9

Bach’s “Air on the G String” from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major As the flowers bloom and birds serenade, Bach in Baltimore invites you to delight in the bright and penetrating sound of the stately oboe. The afternoon concert presents Vivaldi’s Concerto for two oboes along with Albinoni’s own Concerto for two oboes. The poignant oboe concertos will pair nicely with Bach’s rich and harmonic Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C major. We conclude our lovely spring concert with Bach’s beloved “Air on the G String,” from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major. In addition to the powerful fanfare of trumpets, this suite is famous for its slow and stirring movement where the violin plays the melody down an octave and only one string, the G string.
10th Annual BachFest Fundraiser will follow the concert at Zion Lutheran Church. The evening includes buffet dinner and an open bar, as well as opportunities to win raffle prizes, and bid on items in our silent auction. All proceeds from the purchase of raffle tickets and auction bids directly support Bach in Baltimore.

Concert & Bachfest Tickets: $50 Regular/ $52 Door

B Minor Mass
May 3 at 4 p.m.
Towson United Methodist Church

Katherine Vetter Cain, Soprano I
Claire Galloway, Soprano II
Jeffrey Fahnestock, Tenor
William Marshall, Bass

There is no question. The crown jewel in Bach’s oeuvre is the heavenly B Minor Mass. It represents Bach’s lifelong and tireless artistry as a composer and musician of the highest caliber and is a grand synthesis of his every musical innovation and contribution. Bach began the B Minor Mass early in his career and didn’t finish it until the very end of his life when he had already gone blind. Bach never got a chance to hear a full performance of his magnum opus, but his virtuosity lives on forever with the B Minor Mass.

Tickets: $40 Regular / $42 Door

Summer Sunset
June 7 at 4 p.m.
Church of the Redeemer, Baltimore

Zelenka’s Hipocondrie à 7 Concertanti in A major
Handel’s Concerto Grosso in B-flat major
Handel’s Concerto Grosso in D major
Vivaldi’s Flute Concerto No 1 in F major, La tempesta di mare
Vivaldi’s Concerto for three violins in F Major

Before you gear up for your summer vacation, spend a final afternoon with Baroque masters—Handel, Vivaldi, and Zelenka—in a delightful summer picnic of instrumental works featuring flutes, oboes, bassoons, strings, and two harpsichords.

Tickets: $25 Regular / $27 Door

ABOUT BACH IN BALTIMORE

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 to instill a lifelong connection with Bach’s music.

For more information, please visit Bach in Baltimore.

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