BachFest Christmas!
Bach Festival Chorus, Jim Turner, conductor
Sunday, December 4, 2011, 4:00 p.m. | Tickets
Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College

Capture the spirit of the Christmas season with a treasured Kalamazoo tradition. This year’s festive program includes Respighi’s Laud to the Nativity featuring woodwind ensemble, selections from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, and the world-premiere of Words of Hope by local composer and Kalamazoo College Music Emeritus Lawrence Rackley Smith. Familiar carols and an audience sing-a-long complete this often sold-out concert and much beloved family holiday tradition.

Sponsor A Poinsettia: Lovely poinsettias decorate Stetson Chapel for this holiday concert. Help make the chapel even more festive by sponsoring a poinsettia this season. See the order form for more information. A portion of your sponsorship will be tax-deductible.

Sponsors:
Clifford Mulder, Raymond James & Associates

Click here for more information about the artists.

"The eagerly awaited Christmas program by the Kalamazoo Bach Festival on Sunday afternoon proved worth the wait." Kalamazoo Gazette

 

Conspirare
Craig Hella Johnson, artistic director & conductor
Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 7:30 p.m. | Tickets
Portage Central High School Auditorium
8135 S. Westnedge, Portage

Conspirare was born out of a deep desire to connect hearts through the language of music. To attract and inspire the most talented singers to fulfill their callings and find their deepest expression. To imagine and present exceptional, enriching artistic events. To build and nurture a powerful, creative circle of music where everything belongs.

Founded in 1991 in Austin, Texas, Conspirare has grown to become an internationally recognized, choral arts organization known for outstanding vocal artistry, innovative programming, and an exceptional ability to connect deeply with audiences around the globe. Led by founding artistic director Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare has received numerous Grammy® nominations for their recordings and has appeared on the PBS television special “A Company of Voices: Conspirare in Concert.” Conspirare records under the Harmonia Mundi label.

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“Conspirare has become renowned for expanding the boundaries of choral performance.” Wall Street Journal

J.s. Bach's St. John Passion
James Turner, conductor
James Doings, tenor / Paul Rowe, baritone
James Bass, bass
Bach Festival Chorus and Orchestra
Saturday, April 21, 2012, 7:30 p.m. | Tickets
First Presbyterian Church, 321 W. South St., Kalamazoo

The Kalamazoo Bach Festival Society presents one of J.S. Bach's most powerful sacred works. Rife with extraordinary variety and richness, the St. John Passion is a wondrous work of great beauty. The Chorus's opening cry of “Lord…” sets in motion St. John's dramatic telling of the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus. Bach specialist James Doing, from the University of Wisconsin - Madison will portray the role of the Evangelist along with Paul Rowe (as Jesus) and James Bass (as Pilate) to present one of the great Biblical tales of all time. Last performed by the Bach Festival in 1992, the St. John Passion will be performed in English for a meaningful audience experience.

“The sound of the full orchestra and 65-member Bach Festival Chorus..was quite grand. This Bach Festival performance seems to have risen to a new level, generating excitement and anticipation over the festival’s future.” " Kalamazoo Gazette, April 2011