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Press Releases
The Washington Bach Consort Announces 46th Season
The Bach Consort’s 2023-24 Director’s Series opens October 1 with Bach’s St. John Passion | Sacrifice and Redemption, highlighting the extremes of human emotion and experience with British and European tenor sensation Guy Cutting. The series continues November 12 with Bach’s Motets, followed by The Christmas Story | Bach’s Christmas Oratorio on December 9, Te Deum! Sacred Grand Motets of Lully and Charpentier on March 10, and concludes with Haydn’s Die Schöpfung | The Creation: from Genesis to Milton’s Paradise Lost on April 21.
The Chamber Series offers four unique programs, performed both at St. Paul’s Episcopal
Church in Alexandria, VA and Live! at 10th & G in Washington, D.C.
Fantastic Bach! | Stylus Fantasticus (September 22-23), Vocal Polyphony | William Byrd 400th (October 27-28), The Virtuoso Recorder | Vincent Lauzer plays Bach and Telemann (February 23-24), and Women of the Baroque | Canoro pianto et affetti (March 22-23)
The 35th Annual Noontime Cantata Series showcases six free, midday performances of
Bach’s cantatas, introduced by special solo works for organ
Major works for the organ will introduce Bach’s cantatas at St. Mark’s on Capitol Hill (12:10 pm on Mondays) and the Church of the Epiphany in Washington, D.C. (12:10 on Tuesdays)
WASHINGTON– The Washington Bach Consort led by Artistic Director, Dana Marsh today announced its 46th season. The 2023-24 Director’s Series will include concerts featuring the Consort’s world-class vocal/instrumental ensemble and soloists, to be held at the National Presbyterian Church and the Music Center at Strathmore. The season also includes a Chamber Series performed at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA and Live! at 10th & G in Washington, D.C., and the Noontime Cantata Series, held at St. Mark’s on Capitol Hill and the Church of the Epiphany in Washington, D.C. For more information visit Washington Bach Consort.
"Since we’ve just completed an especially successful 45th season packed with audience favorites, the question might loom as how we could improve on this, especially given our concluding sold-out performance of Bach’s Mass in B Minor,” Artistic Director Dana Marsh said. “In 2023-2024, audiences will hear much, much more of what they love, with plenty of new discoveries along the way. We’ve broadened our repertory substantially, so that in the coming season our historical breadth leads from English Renaissance composer, William Byrd in commemoration of the quadricentenary of his death, as far forward as a period instrument performance of Haydn’s Creation to conclude the year.”
“Next season will also see the release our new disc, featuring, “A New Song,” written for the Bach Consort by award-winning composer, Trevor Weston,” Marsh said. “As ever, our audiences will also hear a concert showcasing all of Bach’s beloved motets, his St John Passion, Christmas Oratorio, as well as French Baroque composers Jean-Baptiste Lully and Marc-Antoine Charpentier, with a program of music from women composers of the Baroque.”
The Washington Bach Consort’s Director’s Series offers an immersive and educational audience experience. Before each performance, concertgoers can hear an insightful “Talking Bach” presentation from renowned Bach scholar, Dr. Michael Marissen. At the conclusion of each concert is a complimentary reception and opportunity to meet and mingle with the artists.
THE DIRECTOR’S SERIES
BACH’S ST. JOHN PASSION
Sacrifice and Redemption
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2023 at 4:00 P.M.
National Presbyterian Church
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johannes-Passion, BWV 245
Few works evoke the dramatic intensity and impact of Bach’s Johannes-Passion, highlighting the extremes of human emotion and experience. Bach reveals his profound spirituality through powerful musical depictions of the passion drama, offering the listener some of the greatest moments to be found in his entire output. Bach brings the themes of betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption straight to the heart, placing the listener at the center of the drama. The Washington Bach Consort welcomes British and European tenor sensation Guy Cutting, who narrates the story in the role of the “Evangelist.”
Guy Cutting, Evangelist
Jonathon Adams, Christus
Enrico Lagasca, Pilate
Elijah McCormack, soprano
Reginald Mobley, countertenor
Jacob Perry Jr., tenor
BACH’S MOTETS
The Singers’ Favorite!
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2023 at 4:00 P.M.
National Presbyterian Church
The Bach Motets, featuring BWV 225–230
Audiences love to hear any one of Bach’s iconic motets in a live performance, but to hear all of them in one evening is a revelation. Bach’s vocal-ensemble writing is legendary among singers, artfully bringing to life the rhetorical substance of his musical and theological convictions. A valuable part of Bach’s oeuvre, the motets together capture the full range of connection between text, music, and faith.
THE CHRISTMAS STORY
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
Parts I, II, V & VI
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2023 at 7:00 P.M.
Music Center at Strathmore
Johann Sebastian Bach
Weihnachtsoratorium, BWV 248
The Bach Consort returns to the Music Center at Strathmore for what The Washington Post has called a “splendid” and “joyful” holiday performance of Christmas Oratorio. Of all such seasonal examples, this work is uniquely focused on the complete drama of the Nativity. The Consort offers this beloved European tradition every year with an all-star cast of soloists.
Amy Broadbent, soprano
Sylvia Leith, alto
Thomas Cooley, tenor and Evangelist
Dashon Burton, bass
TE DEUM!
Sacred Grand Motets of Lully and Charpentier
SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2024 at 4:00 P.M.
National Presbyterian Church
Sacred Grand Motets of Jean-Baptiste Lully and Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Te Deum, H.146
J.S. Bach drew from the best of a variety of established European musical styles and combined them in his own unique voice. This concert will highlight influential composers of the French Baroque, featuring sacred grand motets of Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–1687) and MarcAntoine Charpentier (1643–1704). Charpentier’s magnificent Te Deum will head a list of exquisite works that reflect the magnificence of French courtly and ecclesiastical grandeur.
Margaret Carpenter Haigh, soprano
Margot Rood, soprano
James Reese, haute-contre
Gregório Taniguchi, tenor
Ian Pomerantz, bass
Paul Max Tipton, bass
HAYDN’S DIE SCHÖPFUNG
The Creation: from Genesis to Milton’s Paradise Lost
SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 2024 at 4:00 P.M.
National Presbyterian Church
Joseph Haydn
Die Schöpfung, Hob. XXI:2
Completed five decades after Bach’s death, Die Schöpfung (The Creation) offers a significant milestone in the development of the oratorio genre. Strongly influenced by Handel’s definitive examples of the high Baroque, Haydn’s Creation conveys Gottfried van Swieten’s German libretto in sharp musical focus, with vivid characterizations of the creation story described in the book of Genesis. Beginning with the captivating orchestral representation of Chaos, we experience a world brought into beautiful order in seven days, culminating with the union of Adam and Eve. This epic work is best experienced live, sung in the language of its premiere performance (German) and played on period instruments of the Classical era, allowing for the deepest possible level of connection with the musical drama.
Michele Kennedy, soprano
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Edmund Milly, bass
THE CHAMBER SERIES
The Washington Bach Consort presents eight chamber concerts in two intimate and welcoming spaces perfectly matched to the repertoire. Friday performances take place in downtown DC at the über-modern Live! at 10th & G. Enjoy a drink at the Bach Bar before the concert and stay afterwards for a beer, chocolate, or dessert tasting by one of our local partners. Ample garage parking is available, and the Metro Center and Gallery Place Metro stations are only steps away.
Saturday evenings are spent in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, nestled in historic Old Town Alexandria, VA. Music in a space this relaxing will leave you feeling rejuvenated!
FANTASTIC BACH!
Stylus Fantasticus
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 at 7:00 P.M.
Live! at 10th & G
Washington, DC
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2023 at 7:00 P.M.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Alexandria, VA
The influence of the 17th-century instrumental stylus fantasticus can be heard in numerous works of J.S. Bach. Andrew Fouts and Leon Schelhase present a special program that highlights this fantastic tradition. We’ll hear path-breaking works by Bach’s virtuosic German predecessors—Dietrich Buxtehude, Johan Paul von Westhoff, Johann Jakob Walther, and Heinrich Biber— but you especially won’t want to miss Bach’s brilliant Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord in E Major, BWV 1016.
Andrew Fouts, violin
Leon Schelhase, harpsichord
VOCAL POLYPHONY
William Byrd 400th
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023 at 7:00 P.M.
Live! at 10th & G
Washington, DC
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2023 at 7:00 P.M.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Alexandria, VA
Music of William Byrd (c.1540–1623)
Each season, the singers of the Washington Bach Consort present a concert exploring sacred vocal polyphony of the Renaissance and Baroque. Arguably among the finest composers of the high Renaissance, William Byrd (c.1540–1623) left behind a repertory richly varied in its contrapuntal style, with a sense of individuality not often encountered among his counterparts in continental Europe. The program will be performed in observance of the 400th anniversary of the composer’s death. Much of Byrd’s Latin sacred music would have been prohibited in parishes of Elizabethan Protestant England. Like many Roman Catholics, Byrd had to exercise caution when it came to speaking—or composing—his religious views.
THE VIRTUOSO RECORDER
Vincent Lauzer plays Bach and Telemann
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2024 at 7:00 P.M.
Live! at 10th & G
Washington, DC
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2024 at 7:00 P.M.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Alexandria, VA
One of the finest recorder players on the international early music scene today, Canadian superstar Vincent Lauzer will present a rare program of enthralling works by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, and Georg Philipp Telemann. Lauzer is co-artistic director of the Montréal Baroque Festival; his recording of Vivaldi concertos was awarded a Diapason d’Or by the French magazine Diapason.
Vincent Lauzer, recorder
Risa Browder, violin & viola
Adam Pearl, harpsichord
Wade Davis, cello & viola da gamba
WOMEN OF THE BAROQUE
Canoro pianto et affetti
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2024 at 7:00 P.M.
Live! at 10th & G
Washington, DC
SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2024 at 7:00 P.M.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Alexandria, VA
Canoro pianto et affetti explores the musical world of 17th-century women through songs for solo voice. This program is inspired by the 1613 collection Canoro pianto di Maria Vergine sopra la faccia di Christo estinto (“The singing cries of the Virgin Mary over the face of the deceased Christ”). The program features select monodies arranged into a song cycle, including two compositions attributed to the Milanese nun Claudia Sessa, continuing with secular monodies by women composers similarly themed on Christ’s facial features. In a program devised and curated by rising-star soprano Paulina Francisco, this promises to be an evening of delightful discovery!
Paulina Francisco, soprano
Paula Maust, harpsichord
Alexa Haynes-Pilon, viola da gamba
Deborah Fox, lute & theorbo
NOONTIME CANTATA SERIES
Now celebrating its 35th Anniversary Season, the Washington Bach Consort’s Noontime Cantata Series continues its mission of bringing the music of Johann Sebastian Bach to the Washington, DC community. Presented at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill (Capitol Cantata Series) and Church of the Epiphany (Downtown Cantata Series), performances are free of charge to all attendees. Take a break from your busy workday and join us to enjoy the music of Bach in a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere!
Capitol Cantata Series Downtown Cantata Series
Mondays at 12:10 P.M. Tuesdays at 12:10 P.M.
St. Mark’s Capitol Hill Church of the Epiphany
301 A St SE, Washington, DC 20003 1317 G Street NW, Washington, DC
Monday, October 2, 2023 at St. Mark's | Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at Epiphany
Cantata: Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott, BWV 101
Paul Byssainthe, organist
Sara MacKimmie, soprano
- Lucy McVeigh, alto
Oliver Mercer, tenor
Ross Tamaccio, bass
Monday, November 6, 2023 at St. Mark's | Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at Epiphany
Cantata: Du aber Daniel, gehe hin, TVWV 4:17, Georg Philipp Telemann
Mark Willey, organist
Amy Broadbent, soprano
Roger O. Isaacs, countertenor
Matthew Smith, tenor
Edmund Milly, bass
Monday, December 4, 2023 at St. Mark's | Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at Epiphany
Organ Prelude: Fuga sopra il Magnificat à 5, BWV 733
Cantata: Weihnachts-Historie, SWV 435, Heinrich Schütz
Dana Marsh, organist
Gregório Taniguchi, Evangelist
Ian Pomerantz, Herod
Margot Rood, Angel
Monday, March 4, 2024 at St. Mark's | Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at Epiphany
Cantata: Sehet! Wir gehen hinauf gen Jerusalem, BWV 159
Jeffrey Kempskie, organist
Katelyn Grace Jackson, soprano
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, alto
David Evans, tenor
Jason Widney, bass
Monday, April 8, 2024 at St. Mark's | Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at Epiphany
Motet: Ich lebe, mein Herze, zu deinem Ergötzen, BWV 145
John Walthausen, organist
Laura Choi Stuart, soprano
Oliver Mercer, tenor
David Rugger, Bass
Monday, May 6, 2024 at St. Mark's | Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at Epiphany
Cantata: Ihr werdet weinen und heulen, BWV 103
Jinsun Cho, organist
Sylvia Leith, alto
Blake Beckemeyer, tenor
Ross Tamaccio, bass
The Washington Bach Consort
Founded in 1977 by the late Dr. J. Reilly Lewis, the Washington Bach Consort is a professional choral and orchestral ensemble based in Washington, DC, now led by Artistic Director, Dr. Dana Marsh. The Consort is committed to ensuring that current and future audiences experience the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries by performing the music of Bach and his contemporaries to the highest artistic standards, sharing the joy of Bach’s music by broadening audiences in the nation’s capital, nurturing the appreciation of Bach’s music through education and community outreach activities, and interpreting the music of Bach for audiences of today, thereby ensuring his legacy.
The Bach Consort is noted for its historically informed performances of 18th-century music on period instruments. As one of the DC area’s most critically acclaimed and nationally recognized performing arts organizations, the Consort has made regular appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington Performing Arts, and the Cathedral Choral Society. In addition, the Consort has appeared at numerous festivals and presented three European tours. Recordings include Bach’s complete motets, both J.S. and C.P.E. Bach’s Magnificats, the first American recording of the F major and G minor masses, and three solo soprano cantatas with opera luminary Elizabeth Futral. Furthermore, the Consort completed Bach’s entire 215-cantata cycle. In association with this monumental achievement, the Library of Congress welcomed the Washington Bach Consort performance recording and concert program archives into its permanent collection.
In August 2018, the Bach Consort welcomed Dana Marsh as its new Artistic Director. Acclaimed by The Washington Post as “a superb choral conductor, energetic and precise,” Marsh is an accomplished organist, vocalist, conductor and musicologist. He serves as Professor of Music and Director of the Historical Performance Institute at Indiana University, where he has directed a broad range of performances and NPR broadcasts. Marsh succeeds founder, J. Reilly Lewis, who led the Washington Bach Consort for 39 years until his untimely passing in 2016.
In May 2019, the Council of the District of Columbia honored Washington Bach Consort in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the Consort’s free classical music performances. In their written proclamation, the Council cited the Consort’s musical mission to “enrich the quality of life” by “recognizing that not everyone is able to afford a regular subscription concert ticket” and celebrated the Consort’s attempt to “reach as many people as possible.” For further information please visit bachconsort.org
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