Bach In Baltimore to Perform Bach Trio With The Maryland State Boychoir This Month

Bach in Baltimore will perform a trio of Bach gems in collaboration with the Maryland State Boychoir at the Maryland State Boychoir Center for the Arts, located at 3400 Norman Ave, Baltimore on May 7 at 4pm. Tickets and information can be found online at bachinbaltimore.org or by calling 410-941-9262.

The afternoon begins with the angelic voices of the Maryland State Boychoir performing two of the most beloved and best-known Bach cantatas: Cantata 140: Wachet Auf (Sleepers Wake) and Cantata 4: Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ lay in death's bonds). Cantata 140 is one of Bach's most popular tunes that Bach wrote at the height of his musical career. The story of the cantata concerns itself with the story from the Book of Matthew concerning ten bridesmaids waiting for a royal bridegroom. Bach cleverly plays with a theme on the number two throughout the endlessly inventively and joyful work that will be performed by the Maryland State Boychoir and three vocal soloists, including Kerry Holahan, soprano; Morgan Mastrangelo, tenor; and Karl Hempel, bass.

Founded in 1987 by Frank Cimino with just 14 boys, the mission of The Maryland State Boychoir has remained clear: to foster the boy choir tradition by offering talented boys opportunities to sing and build self-esteem, self-discipline and character. Thirty years later, The Maryland State Boychoir (MSB) is comprised of approximately 130 choristers, ages 7 to 20, who represent a wide range of ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds from nine Maryland counties, Baltimore City, and the D.C. suburbs.

The concert concludes with the Bach in Baltimore Orchestra performing Bach's Oboe Concerto in D minor. Mvmt. II. This work is based on a fragment of J. S. Bach's, which is nine measures long. From this crumb, various arrangers have tried their hand at adapting the morsel into a full three movement concerto.

Individual adult tickets ($33-35), student tickets ($10 with Student ID), children's tickets ($5), streaming tickets ($5 and up) are available for purchase at bachinbaltimore.org or by calling 410-941-9262. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door beginning at 3:30pm.

ABOUT BACH IN BALTIMORE

Bach in Baltimore's mission is to perform the choral and instrumental works of Johann Sebastian Bach (and his contemporaries) and to educate the concert-going public about the musical language of Bach and the texts he chose to set to music. We strive each month to present these works in a historically informed way that will enrich the lives of our audience members and inspire creativity. We wish to foster an appreciation for the arts, particularly for Baroque music, within the entire community. We are committed to providing educational experiences for people of all ages to instill a lifelong connection with Bach's music.

Bach in Baltimore currently seeks experienced singers in limited vocal parts to join our choir. Interested singers are encouraged to email bachconcertseries@bachinbaltimore.org to set up an audition.