Chattanooga Bach Choir Cantata Concert

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Chattanooga Bach Choir

Chattanooga Bach Choir May 31 Concert

The Chattanooga Bach Choir, David Long artistic director and conductor, returns from a two-year pandemic hiatus with a festive cantata concert celebrating the “Feast of the Visitation.” The program features: J.S. Bach’s Cantata BWV 147 "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben" ("Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life"), as well as Morten Lauridsen’s "Ave Maria," and Palestrina’s "Magnificat á 8," plus the Choral Prelude, No. 12 for organ, BWV 662, "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehre" ("Alone to God on High be Honored"). Guest soloists are: Cynthia Johnson, soprano; Suranjan Sen, alto; Christopher Reames, tenor; Matthew Hoch, bass; Karla Fowkes, organ.

David Long, comments, “We are excited to be performing once again, and we look forward to celebrating the return of the Chattanooga Bach Choir and Orchestra with Chattanooga music lovers. In the Christian liturgical calendar, May 31, is the one of the three Marian “Feasts of the Visitation.” Cantata BWV 147 was first performed for the Marian Feast taking place on July 2, 1723, during Bach’s first year as the director of church music in Leipzig. Originally written for Advent, Bach expanded the work to ten movements divided into two sections, added new text, and included the popular chorale, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” which is among the most widely known and recognized of Bach’s settings. Keeping with the Marian theme, the choir will also sing a motet by a living composer, Morten Lauridsen’s Ave Maria; and a setting of the Magnificat by 16th century Renaissance master, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. The concert will open with an organ solo, Bach’s Chorale Prelude No. 12. We hope audiences will enjoy our offering of Bach’s beautiful Cantata to celebrate the “Feast of the Visitation.”