Second Tuesdays

Next Bach Together Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Recorded LIVE!

Watch the concerts on our YouTube channel or facebook page

October 13, 2020 – PROGRAM

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)Sonata in C Major, BWV 1033 Andante – Allegro – Adagio – Menuet I – Menuet II

– Susan Charlton, flute

– Interview with Lawrence Jones –

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)Merciless Beauty – Three Rondelsthe poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340's–1400)

Johann Sebastian BachTwo Arias:from the Christmas Oratorio, “Frohe Hirten”from Cantata 7, “Des Vaters Stimmen liess sich hören”– Lawrence Jones, tenor; Susan Charlton, flute;

Elizabeth Field & Rebecca Brown, violins;

Loretta O’Sullivan, cello; Stephen Groat, bass

The October Bach at Noon is supported in part by a generous endowment gift from Mrs. Cornelius Ayer Wood, Jr. in memory of The Rev. Cornelius Ayer Wood, Jr., a member of The Choir’s board of managers 1960–1977.

Soloists Lawrence Jones, tenorSusan Charlton, flute

Greg Funfgeld, Artistic Director & Conductor

BACH t gether

A Gift of Music & Spiritual Refreshment

BACH at NOON Bethlehem 2020-2021

Ralph Vaughan Williams | Merciless Beauty – Three Rondels | poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer

Texts & TranslationsGerman translation by H. Ellis Finger

Soloists

credits include the Evangelist in the Christmas Oratorio with the

Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus, tenor soloist in the Saint John Passion

with the Kalamazoo Bach Festival, Bach Society of St. Louis, and the

New Mexico Philharmonic. In New York, he sang as tenor soloist in

the Saint Matthew Passion with the Saint Thomas Choir, the Mass in

B Minor with the Oratorio Society of New York, and the Evangelist in

the Saint John Passion with the Cathedral Choirs and Orchestra of

St. John the Divine.

Susan Charlton, Flute, is a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, and

received the Bachelor of Music degree in flute performance

and the Master of Fine Arts degree in chamber music study

and performance from the University of Wisconsin. She has

appeared as soloist and orchestral and chamber musician with

various performing ensembles throughout the Midwest, greater

New York area, the Delaware Valley, and the Lehigh Valley. Her

flute studies have included lessons and masterclasses with

Julius Baker, Thomas Nyfenger, Paula Robison, Carol Wincenc,

Robert Cole, Ernestine Whitman and Mary Robert Wilson, and

she has coached with many instrumental and vocal artists

throughout the United States. Ms. Charlton has been a member

of the Lafayette College Department of Music faculty since

1992, teaching flute and coaching wind and string chamber

ensembles. She performs with musicians in a variety of en-

sembles and colleges throughout the Lehigh Valley.

Lawrence Jones, Tenor, has established an active presence on the

concert and operatic stages, receiving praise for his portrayals

of Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress at the

Princeton and Aldeburgh Festivals. The New York Times wrote,

“Tenor Lawrence Jones brought a light, sweet voice and lyricism

to Tom.” Opera News praised him for his “clean, ringing tenor,”

and The Guardian wrote: “...his first-act aria, lamenting the loss of

love, is especially affecting”. Opera credits include New York City

Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Saratoga, Sarasota Opera, and

Amarillo Opera. He has sung as a soloist with the Utah Symphony,

Musica Sacra, Boston Baroque, Boston Pops, Albany Symphony,

Charlotte Symphony, and Rhode Island Philharmonic. He reprised the

role of the Consigliere in Stradella’s San Giovanni Battista at

the Valletta International Baroque Festival in Malta, following

performances the previous season with Haymarket Opera. He

also sang the Evangelist in C.P.E. Bach’s Saint John Passion with

the Saint Thomas Choir and New York Baroque Incorporated, and

made his debut at Alice Tully Hall in Schubert’s Mass in E-Flat with

the Riverside Choral Society. In 2017–18, Lawrence was a soloist in

performances of Messiah at Carnegie Hall with the Oratorio Society

of New York, and at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue. In 2018–2019,

his credits included Monteverdi’s Vespers with the Oratorio Chorale

of Portland, a program of Bach Cantatas with American Classical

Orchestra, the Mass in B Minor with the Bach Society of St. Louis,

and his company debut with the Naples Philharmonic as tenor soloist

in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella. A frequent performer of Bach, Lawrence’s

I. Your eyën two will slay me suddenly: I may the beauty of them not sustene, So woundeth it throughout my hertë kene. And but your word will helen hastily My hertës woundë, while that it is green, Your eyën two will slay me suddenly;

I may the beauty of them not sustene. Upon my troth I say you faithfully,

That ye be of my life and death the queen, For with my death the truthë shall be seen: Your eyën two will slay me suddenly:

I may the beauty of them not sustene, So woundeth it throughout my hertë kene.

III. Since I from Love escapëd am so fat, I never think to ben in his prison lean; Since I am free, I count him not a bean. He may answer, and saye this or that; I do no force, I speak right as I mean: Since I from Love escapëd am so fat,

I never think to be in his prison lean. Love hath my name ystrike out of his sclat,

And he is strike out of my bookës clean For evermore; there is none other mean. Since I from love escapëd am so fat,

I never think to ben in his prison lean, Since I am free I count him not a bean.

Johann Sebastian Bach | Aria from the Christmas Oratorio | “Frohe Hirten”

Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet,eh ihr euch zu lang verweilet,eilt, das holde Kind zu sehn!Geht, die Freude heisst zu schön,sucht die Anmut zu gewinnen,geht und labet Herz und Sinnen!

Johann Sebastian Bach | Aria from Cantata 7 | “Des Vaters Stimmen liess sich hören”

Des Vaters Stimme liess sich hören,Der Sohn, der uns mit Blut erkauft,ward als ein wahrer Mensch getauft.Der Geist erschien im Bild der Tauben,damit wir ohne Zweifel glauben,es habe die Dreifaltigkeituns selbst die Taufe zubereit’.

II. So hath your beauty from your hertë chased Pity, that me ne availeth not to plain: For Daunger halt your mercy in his chain. Guiltless my death thus have ye me purchased; I say you sooth, me needeth not to feign:

So hath your beauty from your hertë chased Pity, that me ne availeth not to plain. Alas! that nature hath in you compassed

So great beauty, that no man may attain To mercy, though he stervë for the pain! So hath your beauty from your hertë chased

Pity, that me ne availeth not to plain; For Daunger halt your mercy in his chain.

Joyous shepherds speed, make haste,lest you tarry too long,hasten to see the gracious child!Go, with overabundant joy,go in search of grace, and soothe your heart and senses!

The Father's voice made itself heardthe Son, who brokered us with his Blood, was baptized as true Man.The Spirit was seen in the form of a dove,so that we without doubt might have faith,the Holy Trinity itself has ordained our Baptism.

Filmed in Nazareth & Bethlehem • FREE and open to all Register at BACH.org/tickets • 610-866-4382

The world may have changed but…There is still Christmas. There is still Bethlehem.And we are still The Bach Choir of Bethlehem.

Opening Up Our Hearts –Music and Inspiration of Christmas

VIRTUAL Christmas Concert • Sunday, December 13 at 4pm

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem

THE OLDEST AMERICAN BACH CHOIR, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem gave the first complete American performances of Bach’s

Mass in B Minor in 1900 and Christmas Oratorio in 1901. Since its founding in 1898, the now-famous Choir has been attracting thousands

of visitors from across the United States and beyond to the annual Bethlehem Bach Festival in Pennsylvania. Since 1983, under Greg Funfgeld’s

direction, the 85 dedicated volunteer singers of The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, performing with the Bach Festival Orchestra and distin-

guished soloists, have received international acclaim. Programming has expanded to 40 concerts and educational programs per year

for an audience of more than 22,000. Venues have included the Herkulessaal at Munich’s Royal Residence and the Thomaskirche, Bach’s

church in Leipzig, as part of the 1995 Germany tour; The Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall as part of The Choir’s Centennial Celebration in

1998–2000; the BBC Proms in London’s Royal Albert Hall as part of an eight-concert tour of the United Kingdom in 2003; and Severance

Hall, Cleveland, for the 75th anniversary of the Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival in 2007. In September 2011, The Bach Choir represented

the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in a 10th anniversary musical observance of 9/11 in New York City, giving concerts in Saint Paul’s

Chapel and Trinity Church, Wall Street. In 2013, The Choir performed Mendelssohn’s Elijah at Strathmore in the Washington D.C. area,

and in 2014, the new opera Young Meister Bach for the 250th anniversary of the German Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. In June

2021, The Bach Choir will be featured in a performance in the Thomaskirche, as part of Leipzig’s famous Bachfest, with additional concerts

in Dresden, Herrnhut, and Prague.

The Choir has released 11 recordings on the Dorian and Analekta labels including most recently Bach’s Cantata 21 (2018), Handel’s Ode

for Saint Cecilia’s Day (2018), A Child’s Christmas in Bethlehem (2013), and Saint John Passion (2012). The Choir has been featured

on National Public Radio’s Performance Today and Prairie Home Companion, Deutsche Radio, the BBC World Service, CBS Sunday

Morning, and the Emmy award-winning PBS documentary on The Choir, Make a Joyful Noise. It has been recognized for its outstanding

educational outreach programs (Bach at Noon, Bach to School, and interdisciplinary Family Concerts) by annual awards from the

National Endowment for the Arts (2011–2019). The J.S. Bach Foundation in Switzerland named The Bach Choir of Bethlehem as the

first American recipient of its annual award to a single Bach organization, recognizingThe Bach Choir’s outstanding work in Bach

performance and education for young people (2012). Mr. Bach Comes to Call, a film based on the acclaimed Classical Kids CD, was

co-produced by The Bach Choir of Bethlehem and is distributed internationally by the Children’s Group. In July 2018, our affiliated

Bel Canto Youth Chorus, currently celebrating its 27th year under the direction of founder Joy Hirokawa, officially merged with The

Bach Choir of Bethlehem. Both organizations are looking to increase their impact in training the next generation of choral singers and

cultivating a life-long passion for the choral arts. For more information visit The Bach Choir’s website – BACH.org.

Concerts presented VIRTUALLY on YouTube and Facebook!

BACH at NOONTuesday, November 10

BACH t gether

All new concerts, presented virtually – recorded live at Central Moravian Church.

Join us on YouTube and Facebook!

A Season of Grace

Bach at Noon • Second Tuesdays 12:10–1pm Central Moravian Church • Historic Downtown Bethlehem, PA Fall concerts presented virtually online; no audience present. 2020 – September 15, October 13, November 102021 – January 12, February 9, March 9, April 13

St. John’s Lutheran Church • Downtown Allentown, PA 2021 - June 8, July 13, August 10

Virtual Christmas Concert • Opening Up Our Hearts – Music and Inspiration of ChristmasFeaturing members of The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Bach Festival Orchestra and The Bel Canto Youth ChorusSunday, December 13, 2020 at 4pm • Bach.org/event/Christmas

Greg Funfgeld Family Concert • Including Benjamin Britten – Young Person's Guide to the OrchestraSunday, February 28, 2021 at 3 pm • Zoellner Arts Center

Choral Workshop & Performance • Bel Canto Youth Chorus March, 2020

Spring Concert • Duruflé – Requiem and Handel – Messiah, Part TwoSunday, March 21, 2021 at 4:00 pm • First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem

Spring Concert • Bel Canto Youth ChorusSaturday, May 1, 2021

113th Bethlehem Bach Festival May 14-15 & May 21-22, 2021

Gifts & Abundance

2020–2021 SEASON

BACH.org

ENCORE!! REPLAY!! BACH

t gether

Due to Covid 19, the Gala event with Yo-Yo Ma scheduled for October 16 is in the process of being re-scheduled, with a new date to be announced.

GALA EVENT UPDATE

BachConcerto in A Major, BWV 1055 – Mary Watt, oboe d’amore

Cantata 56 – Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen – Dashon Burton, bass-baritone

All our virtual concerts are posted on our YouTube channel and Facebook page. Watch and enjoy them anytime!

The Central Moravian Church

The Moravian Church had its origin in the pre-Reformation awakening under John Hus.

The Unitas Fratrum (Unity of the Brethren) was organized in 1457. Because much of its

early history is centered in Moravia, the Unity is known formally as the Moravian Church,

and recognized as the oldest organized Protestant denomination in the world. The Moravian

Church places much emphasis on mission, music, and education. It was J. Fred Wolle,

organist of Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, who founded The Bach Choir of

Bethlehem in 1898 and conducted The Choir in the first performance of Bach’s Mass in

B Minor in America here at Central Church in 1900. Central Moravian Church continues

to have a flourishing music program presented by its resident music ensembles and

visiting artists, under the leadership of Director of Music and Organist, Rebecca Lepore.

In addition to five Central Moravian Church music CDs including An Old Fashioned Moravian

Music Christmas – an organ recording featuring Rebecca Lepore, and Christmas Eve at

Central Moravian Church, a recently published 256-page book entitled Praise and

Thanksgiving: 275 Years of Music at Central Moravian Church is available at the Moravian

Book Shop.

Special thanks to:

Central Moravian Church,

especially Rt. Rev. Hopeton Clennon,

Rev. Dr. Lynnette Delbridge, and

Rebecca Lepore, Director of Music

John C. Baker, audio engineer Bill George, videographer

The Guarantors of The Bach Choir for their continuing support.

Free-will offerings to help support Bach at Noon.

Please donate online at BACH.org or send your contribution to:

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem

440 Heckewelder Place • Bethlehem, PA 18018

610-866-4382 | BACH.org

Bach at Noon 2020–2021 Bethlehem Schedule

For further information about The Bach Choir of Bethlehem:

• Visit Bach.org for upcoming concert and ticket information, to join our mailing list or to order CDs and other Bach Choir merchandise.

• Consider becoming a Guarantor with The Choir: learn more at the website or by calling 610-866-4382 extension 113

• Follow us on facebook and twitter

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem gratefully acknowledges our

Bach at Noon corporate & foundation sponsors.

Jephson Educational Trust

Keystone Savings Foundation

Presser Foundation

Bach at Noon BroadcastBach at Noon concerts will be broadcast on WWFM, a long-time media sponsor. This year’s broadcasts are made possible by the generous support of John L. and Carol Daniel and Arthur Mead Martin. Watch for broadcast dates on our website.

2020 2021September 15 January 12

October 13 February 9

November 10 March 9

April 13

Bach at Noon Together Allentown 2021: June 8 July 13 August 10

The Bach Choir is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts

and The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts