Allentown Band in the 118th Annual Bethlehem Bach Festival!

 



In a landmark collaboration for America’s Semiquincentennial, two of the Lehigh Valley’s most storied musical institutions – the Allentown Band, under the direction of Ron Demkee, and the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, under the direction of Conductor Christopher Jackson, join forces for a powerful musical tribute to freedom, heritage, and service.

Featuring Randall Thompson’s stirring The Testament to Freedom, inspired by the words of Thomas Jefferson and other significant American texts, the program also includes selections from Bethlehem’s Moravian musical tradition – curated by the Moravian Music Foundation – which anchor the concert in the Lehigh Valley’s own rich musical legacy. Presented outdoors at the Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks, this program invites audiences to rejoice in the music that gives voice to the American spirit as we close out our 118th Festival.

The 118th Bethlehem Bach Festival is coming this May 7-10th to Historic Downtown and SouthSide Bethlehem. This festival is the longest continuously running Bach Festival in the WORLD. With a roster of world-class soloists and guest artists, and a choral tradition that is recognized across the globe, we hope you will come out for an array of wonderful concerts and a celebration of our community.


Here is the Festival Schedule:



Thursday, May 7
  • Outside the Bachs: Time for Three (7pm, Musikfest Cafe at SteelStacks) — GRAMMY Award-winning trio blending classical, Americana, rock, and jazz. (tickets here)


Friday, May 8
  • Bach at 4 (4pm, Incarnation of Our Lord Church) — SYNNET period trombone ensemble with Bach Choir soloists; music of Schütz, early Bach family, and Venetian polychoral traditions. (tickets here)

  • Bach at 8 (8pm, Packer Memorial Church) — Mozart's Great Mass in C Minor and J.F. Peter's Freudenpsalm (1783) with Unitas Chorale. (tickets here)

Saturday, May 9
  • Ifor Jones Memorial Chamber Concert (10:30am, Zoellner Arts Center) — Bach's Musical Offering with SYNNET and Bach Festival Orchestra. (tickets here)

  • Mass in B Minor (2:30pm & 4:30pm, Packer Memorial Church) — JS BACH’s eternal masterpiece, and the Bach Choir's century-long centerpiece tradition, the Mass in B Minor! Livestream available. (tickets here)

Sunday, May 10
  • Chamber Music in the Saal (11am, Moravian Museum) — viola da gamba virtuoso Loren Ludwig presents JS Bach, CPE Bach, and Abel. (tickets here)

  • Testament of Freedom (2:30pm, Levitt Pavilion at Steel Stacks) FREE. NOTE: There is MUCH MORE ON THIS PROGRAM. The Bach Choir and The Allentown Band also join forces for John William's moving Hymn to the Fallen from "Saving Private Ryan".


For more information please visit bach.org or call (610) 866-4382

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