Vancouver Bach Choir to Host 85th Anniversary Celebration and Season Launch, Sept 22

Vancouver Bach Choir (VBC) invites media to attend its monumental 85th Anniversary Celebration and 2015/16 Season Launch at the historic Heritage Hall, Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 7pm at Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street.

The gala evening will offer media, VBC patrons, members, and alumni an opportunity to discover the remarkable history of Vancouver's longest-running symphonic choir, and hear a moving performance of excerpts from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana by the choir, under the baton of Music Director Leslie Dala. Light appetizers and refreshments will be served. Wine by Road 13 Vineyards will be available for purchase.

The VBC's 2015/16 season features four magnificent concerts at The Orpheum:

Christmas with the Bach Choir, December 6, 2015 at 2pm
A celebratory afternoon of heartwarming Christmas favourites and exquisite seasonal works, which gathers more than 400 singers of the entire Bach Choir family including the Vancouver Bach Children's Chorus, Youth Choir & Sarabande.

Handel's Messiah, December 12, 2015 at 8pm
An ensemble of celebrated Canadian soloists joins the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) and VBC to infuse brilliant new light into the epic work filled with divine harmonies, resounding orchestrations, and sublime arias.

Downing's Phantom of the Opera, February 20, 2016 at 8pm
Canadian composer Andrew Downing's mesmerizing score is performed with new intensity and nuance by the VBC alongside a screening of Rupert Julian's 1925 cult-classic film, The Phantom of the Opera.

Bach's St. Matthew Passion, March 19, 2016 at 7:30pm
Bach's 'Great Passion' composed for a Good Friday service in 1727 is considered a pinnacle accomplishment in the history of classical music. VBC alongside the VSO and a cast of accomplished soloists together perform the staggering masterwork overflowing with sweeping harmonies and colossal power.

Subscriptions packages for VBC's 2015/16 season are now on sale and include two exciting options:

- Four Concert Series Package with a 25% discount on ticket prices.
- Three Concert Series Package with a 20% discount on ticket prices.

Packages can be purchased in the following ways:

- Online at vancouverbachchoir.com.
- In person at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra administration office, 500 - 843 Seymour Street (Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm).
- By phone: 604.696.4290.

About Vancouver Bach Choir (vancouverbachchoir.com) - The Vancouver Bach Choir (VBC), celebrating its 85th anniversary season, is an award-winning symphonic choir committed to offering vibrant and culturally diverse choral experiences to its audiences. As one of the largest choral organizations in Canada, the VBC explores a wide range of repertoire from the past to the present with passion and commitment. Through its concerts presented at the magnificent Orpheum Theatre, the VBC continues to meet its mandate of commissioning and performing works by British Columbian and Canadian composers and presenting the world's favourite symphonic choral works. Over the past eight decades, the choir has performed with numerous world-class musicians. Currently under the baton of Maestro Leslie Dala, the VBC continues its mission and tradition to share the beauty of choral music with local, national, and international communities.