Lehigh Valley Youth Choirs Join the Bach Choir of Bethlehem and Westminster Choir College in Highlighting Music from Around the World at the Greg Funfgeld Family Concert: Youth Choirs Festival
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem is thrilled to present this year’s Greg Funfgeld Family Concert, a celebration of choral music designed to engage and inspire family members of all ages on Sunday, February 23rd at 3pm. Held at Lehigh University’s Zoellner Arts Center, this vibrant event will bring together youth and high school choirs from Parkland High School, Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, Nazareth High School, and the Bach Choir’s own Bel Canto Youth Chorus to perform alongside the storied Westminster Choir College and the Bach Choir.
“The choral arts can be a lifelong and life-changing passion, and we are delighted to bring together vibrant young voices from across the Lehigh Valley to perform with the Bach Choir and the excellent Westminster Choir College,” said Leela Breithaupt, Executive Director of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem. “This joyous event is a celebration of global music traditions and community, and together we look forward to creating an unforgettable experience that inspires friends and family, both young and old.”
Audiences will embark on a global musical journey featuring selections from Indonesia, Spain, Zimbabwe, Germany, Russia, and the United States, including choreography accompanying traditional Zimbabwean choral music and works by British jazz-pop sensation Jacob Collier. In addition, attendees will enjoy excerpts from Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor and Bach’s Mass in B Minor, performed by the combined youth choirs, Bach Choir, and members of the Bach Festival Orchestra under the direction of the Bach Choir’s Artistic Director and Conductor Dr. Christopher Jackson, Bel Canto Youth Chorale Conductor Alaina Swartz, and Bel Canto Youth Chorus Director Kelly Rocchi.
“The [Youth Choirs] Festival provides an opportunity to experience the full power and majesty of large works we would not otherwise perform on our own,” said David Macbeth, a vocal music faculty member at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts. “There is nothing that transcends the experience of singing a timeless masterwork with one’s friends and colleagues!”
The Greg Funfgeld Family Concert, known for its interactive and engaging format, is much more than a concert. Audiences will have the opportunity to participate in sing-alongs, help “build a chord,” and even witness young attendees take the stage as guest conductors. The event serves as an ideal introduction to classical choral music, blending joy, education, and tradition in a warm, family-friendly atmosphere.
Don’t miss this lively afternoon of music, movement, and community spirit! Tickets are $20 for adults and $9 for students and are on sale now at bach.org or by calling 610.866.4382 x110/x115.
Event Details
What: Greg Funfgeld Family Concert Youth Choirs Festival:
Music From Around the World
When: Sunday, February 23rd at 3pm, doors at 2:30pm.
Tickets available at the Zoellner Box Office the day of the performance.
Where: Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, 420 E Packer Ave, Bethlehem, PA 18015
ABOUT THE BACH CHOIR OF BETHLEHEM
Founded in 1898 and comprised of 115 dedicated volunteer singers, the Bach Choir of Bethlehem is the oldest American Bach Choir, performing the first complete U.S. renditions of Bach’s Mass in B Minor in 1900 and Christmas Oratorio in 1901. Under Artistic Director and Conductor Dr. Christopher Jackson, the choir attracts thousands each year to Bethlehem, PA for its annual Bethlehem Bach Festival. Programming includes over 40 concerts and educational events per year, reaching an audience of more than 22,000 through outreach programs like Bach to School, Bach at Noon, interdisciplinary family concerts, and more. The choir’s latest recording, Mendelssohn/Bach Matthäus-Passion (2024) was released by Analekta, Canada’s largest indie classic label. The Bach Choir’s Bel Canto Youth Chorus, an educational program under the direction of Director Kelly Rocchi, is training the next generation of choral singers and cultivating a life-long passion for the choral arts. For more information, visit BACH.org.
Information provided to TVL by:
Glenn Koehler
