For Immediate Release    Contact Person: Bridget George, 610-866-4382 Ext. 11, bridget@bach.org                                                                                       THE BACH CHOIR OF BETHLEHEM – SONGS OF HOPE SONGS OF HOPE is the title of both The Bach Choir of Bethlehem’s Spring Concert, March 20, 4pm at First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem and The Choir’s next recording on the Analekta label to be released in October 2011. Greg Funfgeld directs a moving and beautiful program of music by J.S. Bach, Benjamin Britten, Stephen Paulus, and Leonard Bernstein, for chorus, soloists, organ and chamber ensemble. The program will also be performed at Market Square Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg PA on March 19 at 8pm for the well known chamber music series, Market Square Concerts. Distinguished soloists include Rosa Lamoreaux, soprano; Daniel Taylor, countertenor; Benjamin Butterfield, tenor; and William Sharp, baritone. The chamber ensemble includes principal players of the Bach Festival Orchestra Thomas Goeman, organ and piano; Robin Kani, flute; Loretta O’Sullivan, cello; Charles Holdeman, bassoon; Stephen Groat, bass; and Christopher Hanning, percussion; as well as guest artist Elaine Christy, harp. From the Psalms of David to 18th century poetry by Christopher Smart written in an English lunatic asylum and 20^th century poetry by Carl Sandburg written in depression era Chicago, the texts of “Songs of Hope” are moving affirmations of hope in the face of adversity.  In the hands of composers Bach, Britten, Bernstein, and Paulus, these amazing words resonate with the longing for peace and healing in our own time. The program is offered in loving memory of the choir’s former deputy executive director – Winnie Erdman (1948-2010). J.S.Bach – Motet – Singet dem Herrn BWV 225                               Benjamin Britten – Rejoice in the Lamb                                       Stephen Paulus – A Dream of Time (Bach Choir Commission)Leonard Bernstein – Chichester Psalms The timeless words of the psalmist, King David, will be heard in both German and Hebrew—first in verses from psalms 149 and 150 as set by Bach in the glorious motet Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied” (Sing unto the Lord a New Song) and at the end in verses from six psalms in the original Hebrew as set by Bernstien in the Chichester Psalms, a version for chorus, countertenor, organ and percussion. It includes perhaps the most well loved of all psalms, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”Gam ki eilech                            Yea, though I walk
B'gei tsalmavet,                         Through the valley of the shadow of death,
Lo ira ra,                                    I will fear no evil,
Ki Atah imadi.                           For Thou art with me.
Shiv't'cha umishan'techa            Thy rod and Thy staff
Hemah y'nahamuni.                   They comfort me.

In Rejoice in the Lamb, Benjamin Britten gives us an extraordinary work setting lines from Christopher Smart’s poem, Jubilate Agno, for chorus, four soloists and organ. Writing in his distress at being confined in a lunatic asylum, the poet still sees the praise of God in every living thing, including his cat Jeoffrey, the mouse, who is “a creature of great personal valour”, the blessings of flowers, and a host of musical instruments. The ecstatic prayer culminates in this beautiful verse: “For the trumpet of God is a blessed intelligenceAnd so are all the instruments in Heav’n.For God the Father Almighty plays upon the harpOf stupendous magnitude and melody.For at that time malignity ceasesAnd the devils themselves are at peaceFor this time is perceptible to manBy a remarkable stillness and serenity of soul.” Moving from 18th century England to 20^th Century America, we have the words of Carl Sandburg written in depression era Chicago and set by Stephen Paulus in A Dream of Time, which was commissioned by The Bach Choir in 2008 for Greg’s 25^th anniversary and premiered at the 2009 Bethlehem Bach Festival. “…Hope is an echo, hope ties itself yonder, yonder.
The spring grass showing itself where least expected,
The rolling fluff of white clouds on a changeable sky,…
And children singing chorals of the Christ child
And Bach being broadcast from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
And tall skyscrapers practically empty of tenants
And the hands of strong men groping for handholds
And the Salvation Army singing God loves us…”_________________________________________________For the concert in Bethlehem on March 20 Tickets are $39 & $29, student tickets $10 (up to age 22). Call 610-866-4382 Ext. 10 or buy tickets on-line at The Bach Choir’s website, www.bach.org.For the Concert in Harrisburg on March 19 at 8pm call 717-221-9599-------------------------------------------------------------------------THE BACH CHOIR OF BETHLEHEMFounded in 1898, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem gave the first complete performances in the United States of The Mass in B Minor in 1900 and The Christmas Oratorio in 1901. The annual Bethlehem Bach Festivals, held on the first two weekends in May, attract thousands of people from across the United States and beyond. Under Greg Funfgeld’s direction since 1983, The Choir and Bach Festival Orchestra have received critical acclaim for performances at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, the Herkulessaal at Munich’s Royal Residence, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Carnegie Hall in New York City, and the BBC Proms in London’s Royal Albert Hall. The Choir’s recordings, including its 2009 release of Bach’s Magnificat and Vivaldi’s Gloria on the Analekta label, are also heard world-wide. Live recordings of the Choir’s performances have been broadcast on National Public Radio, Deutsche Radio, the BBC World Service, CBS Sunday Morning, and as part of the Emmy award winning PBS documentary on The Choir, Make a Joyful Noise. In December 2007, a radio audience of more than four million heard The Bach Choir featured on Prairie Home Companion.  In addition to the Bach Festival, the season in Bethlehem includes Christmas and Spring Concerts; a Family Concert; Bach at Noon—a series of free concerts in Central Moravian Church, and Bach to School, an educational outreach program that has now been presented for more than 80,000 children. Mr. Bach Comes to Call, an Emmy nominated film based on the acclaimed Classical Kids CD, was produced by The Bach Choir of Bethlehem in 2007 and has been broadcast nationally on PBS and is distributed internationally by The Children’s Group. For more information: 1.888.743.3100 or www.bach.org SONGS OF HOPE - SOLOISTSRosa Lamoreaux, soprano, is an award-winning vocalist with a busy international career and is regularly featured at The Bethlehem Bach Festival and the Carmel Bach Festival. After winning the Handel Aria Competition at the Aspen Music Festival, her career has taken her to Carnegie Hall, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and the Kennedy Center. Ms. Lamoreaux has been a soloist with the Atlanta Symphony and the Cincinnati Symphony with Robert Shaw. A popular chamber music performer, she sings with the Folger Consort, MusicaAperta, ArcoVoce, and Hesperus. In Europe she has appeared at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, the Reingau Music Festival, La Fenice Chamber Music Festival, and the Scandinavian Music Festival. Ms. Lamoreaux is the artistic director of the National Gallery of Art Vocal Ensemble designing and performing concerts for specific exhibits. She enjoys teaching and has given master classes for Princeton University, Michigan State, and the Smithsonian Institution.Daniel Taylor, countertenor: A recording artist for Sony Classical Masterworks, Daniel Taylor is one of the most sought-after countertenors in the world. He receives invitations from an ever-widening circle of the world’s leading early and contemporary music ensembles, appearing in opera (Metropolitan Opera, Glyndebourne, Rome, and Munich), oratorio (Monteverdi Choir, Bach Collegium Japan, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra,), symphonic works (Cleveland, Philadelphia, Toronto), recital (Vienna Konzerthaus; Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, London), and film (Podeswa’s Five Senses for Fineline-winner at Cannes). Taylor is founder and artistic director of the Theatre of Early Music, a period instrument ensemble based in Montreal. He is also artistic director of the Music Festival at St. Sauveur and a visiting professor at McGill University. Taylor has made more than 65 recordings, which include Bach Cantatas with English Baroque Soloists, Bach Collegium of Japan, and The Bach Choir of Bethlehem. Benjamin Butterfield, Tenor, has been described as a “musically arresting presence” by the San Francisco Chronicle. His stage appearances include performances with Il Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Welsh National Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera Festival, and Canterbury Opera in New Zealand. He has toured throughout Europe with Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert, the RIAS Kammerchor of Berlin, and Les Musiciens du Louvre. Other appearances have included the Saito Kinen Festival with Seiji Ozawa, and Festival Vancouver. Butterfield celebrates the music of Johann Sebastian Bach at the Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival, the Bethlehem Bach Festival, and with the American Bach Soloists. His many recordings include Christmas Oratorio (Dorian/Funfgeld) as well as Britten's Serenade (CBC/Streatfeild) and The Canticles (Marquis/ Aldeburgh Connection), which were both recognized by the Juno Awards. William Sharp, baritone, has been praised by the New York Times as a “sensitive and subtle singer” and continues to garner critical acclaim for his work in concert, recital, opera, and recordings. He is a frequent participant in Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Colorado Music Festival, and the Marlboro Music Festival. He has made numerous appearances with the Bach Aria Group and the Handel and Haydn Society. In the 2009-10 Season William Sharp returned to the New York Festival of Song in a concert titled "Where We Came From." Recent highlights include the Boston Early Music Festival in the world premiere of Graupner's Antiochus und Stratonica, and the Bethlehem Bach Festival in the world premiere of Stephen Paulus’ A Dream of Time and Libby Larsen’s The Flower. A highly respected recording artist, Mr. Sharp received a 1990 Grammy award for his recording on the Koch label of Leonard Bernstein’s Arias and Barcarolles with the New York Festival of Song.    Karen GloseDeputy Executive DirectorThe Bach Choir of Bethlehem440 Heckewelder PlaceBethlehem, PA 18018610.866.4382, ext. 15