The Bach Festival Society Celebrates Mendelssohn's Birth With ELIJAH 10/25

The Bach Festival Society celebrates the 200th anniversary year of Mendelssohn's birth with presentations of his choral masterwork Elijah on Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 25 at 3:00 p.m. This dynamic piece of music tells the story of the Old Testament prophet Elijah, with solo voices playing individual characters and the choir acting in various group roles. The work will be performed by the renowned Bach Festival Choir and vocal soloists, accompanied by the Bach Festival Orchestra under the direction of John V. Sinclair.

"Mendelssohn is responsible for bringing Bach's music back into prominence in the 1800s. As we are approaching the celebration of our 75th Anniversary Festival in February, we felt it was appropriate to start our season with a work that has such a strong connection to J.S. Bach himself," says Artistic Director and Conductor John V. Sinclair. He continues, "Elijah is one of the greatest choral masterpieces of all time, telling one of the most powerful stories of all time." Elijah premiered in 1846 in Birmingham, England, to great acclaim and has remained immensely popular ever since. Though Mendelssohn was German, the oratorio was written and performed in English.

The lead role of the prophet Elijah will be sung by baritone Richard Zeller. Mr. Zeller is renowned for his oratorio and opera engagements and is a regular at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The quartet is rounded out with Bach Festival favorite tenor Robert Bracey, mezzo-soprano Cherry Duke, and Central Florida newcomer soprano Julia Foster. Dr. Foster is the recently appointed Professor of Voice at Rollins College and brings a beautiful new voIce To our ensemble.

Tenor choir member John Niss says of performing this work, "The sheer variety of musical forms and styles in this work make it a blast to sing. Where else does a chorister have the opportunity to be a Baal-worshiping fanatic in one movement and an angel of the Lord soon after? If the audience has a fraction of the enjoyment that I expect to have performing, this will be memorable indeed."

Performance Information
What: Mendelssohn's Elijah
Where: Knowles Memorial Chapel on the Rollins College Campus; 1000 Holt Ave, Winter Park
When: Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets: $20-$50
How: To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Box Office at 407.646.2182 or visit www.bachfestivalflorida.org. Tickets can also be purchased at the door 60 minutes prior to the performance.

About the Bach Festival Society
The Bach Festival Society, located in Winter Park, Florida, is one of the longest continuously operating Bach Festivals in the country and among America's great oratorio societies. The Bach Festival Society brings the highest caliber of classical music to Central Florida. Performances are held in the intimate settings of Tiedtke Concert Hall and Knowles Memorial Chapel on the beautiful campus of Rollins College.

For more information regarding the upcoming season or to order tickets, please call the Bach Festival Society at 407.646.2182 or visit us online at www.bachfestivalflorida.org.

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