Now in its 35th season, the Calgary Bach Choir specializes in the music of Baroque composers such as Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and beyond. On Sunday, November 20, the choir celebrates the anniversary season with a joyful program of music by J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel.
“The thirty-fifth anniversary of the Calgary Bach Choir has given me a chance to look back into this organisation’s performing archives to uncover some of our favourite gems from the past and perform them for new audiences,” says Artistic Director Terry Edwards. “Our 2022-2023 season also marks my fifteenth season as artistic director, chorus master, and conductor of this wonderful organization. What better way to commence our anniversary year than with the sounds of trumpets and drums, which are prominently featured in each of the pieces in the program.”
The concert features Cantata No. 191 "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" and Orchestral Suite No. 3 by J.S. Bach and Four Coronation Anthems by Handel.
“Bach’s Cantata 191 was performed only once before by the choir in December 1999,” says Edwards. “The Third Orchestral Suite was last heard in its entirety in November 2011, and Handel’s Four Coronation Anthems received their first full performance in November 2009. The decision to include the latter in this program was meant to honour Queen Elizabeth II in her Platinum Jubilee year but it has taken on new significance in light of her passing in September along with King Charles III’s accession and his upcoming coronation next May. We will have the chance to reacquaint ourselves with these wonderful pieces in a concert setting.”
The Calgary Bach Choir will be joined by Calgary's own radiant soprano Jonquil Reierson Koddo and tenor Jason Ragan, along with a chamber orchestra – and of course trumpets!
Tickets are $20 and are available online at BrownPaperTickets or at the door. Students with valid ID and children receive free admission.
For more information, visit www.calgarybachsociety.com.
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