Bach In Baltimore Announces Season Opening Concert

Bach in Baltimore will be returning to live concerts on October 3, 2021, at 4 PM at the Maryland State Boychoir Center for the Arts located at 3400 Norman Avenue. Under the direction of Maestro T. Herbert Dimmock, the Choir and Orchestra, plus special guests, will perform two J.S. Bach works, including Bach's Cantata 1: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (How beautifully the morning star shines) and Brandenburg Concerto No. 1.

Bach's bright and uplifting first Cantata is a landmark in his artistic development as one of the greatest Baroque composers. It takes as its starting point a hymn composed by the Lutheran pastor Phillip Nicolai. That was, in turn, inspired by the poetry of Psalm 45. Nicolai's hymn, identifying Christ with the morning star, has been set to music by other composers before Bach and even afterward by figures such as Mendelssohn.

Bach's exalted Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 follows. Widely regarded as some of the best orchestral compositions of the Baroque era, the six Brandenburg Concertos stretch and expand the capabilities of the Baroque orchestral music. Bach's first Brandenburg Concerto showcases his capacity for orchestration by utilizing the widest range of instruments he could as he had available as a Kapellmeister in his surroundings of Köthen. The Brandenburg Concertos showcase Bach at his very best.

The featured soloists for this concert will include two talented musicians familiar to Bach in Baltimore audiences and the greater metro area. Kerry Holahan, soprano, is heralded for her masterful interpretation of Baroque cantatas and oratorios, especially J.S. Bach. She is manager and singer with chamber ensemble Charm City Baroque and regularly performs as soloist and choral singer with early music groups throughout the greater Washington DC region. Tenor Joseph Regan is a highly sought-after performer whose singing has taken him all over the Eastern Seaboard and parts of Europe. He is mainly well known for his singing of Bach and Handel with numerous performances of Handel's Messiah and Bach's Passions and Cantatas to his credit.

Tickets to attend this concert in person must be purchased IN ADVANCE, online at BachinBaltimore.org or by calling 410-941-9262. Tickets will not be sold at the door to ensure touchless transactions. Patrons over the age of twelve will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test before admission into the venue. Children under the age of twelve who cannot receive vaccinations are exempt from this condition. Please read our full Health and Safety measures online here.

This concert can also be view virtually. Live-Streamed or on-demand tickets are available here.