{"id":140986,"date":"2025-03-13T22:10:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T02:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=140986"},"modified":"2025-03-13T22:10:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T02:10:53","slug":"bach-choir-of-bethlehem-in-collaboration-with-westminster-choir-present-rachmaninoffs-all-night-vigil-for-spring-concert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=140986","title":{"rendered":"Bach Choir of Bethlehem, In Collaboration with Westminster Choir, Present Rachmaninoff\u2019s All-Night Vigil for Spring Concert"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bethlehem, Pa.<\/em>\u00a0– The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, America\u2019s oldest Bach Choir, in collaboration with the internationally acclaimed Westminster Choir, is proud to announce its upcoming Spring Concert featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff\u2019s transcendent\u00a0All-Night Vigil (Vespers)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The concert will take place at the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem on Sunday, March 30th at 4pm. The day prior, the Bach Choir and Westminster Choir will unite to perform the\u00a0All-Night Vigil<\/em>\u00a0at The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia at 7:30pm.<\/p>\n

The concert will take place at the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem on Sunday, March 30th at 4pm. The day prior, the Bach Choir and Westminster Choir will unite to perform the\u00a0All-Night Vigil<\/em>\u00a0at The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia at 7:30pm.<\/p>\n

This breathtaking choral work, composed in 1915, is often regarded as one of the greatest achievements in sacred music. Blending ancient Russian Orthodox chants with Rachmaninoff\u2019s signature romantic harmonies, this piece\u2019s fifteen movements reflect profound spiritual and emotional depth, transporting listeners through the beauty of evening and morning prayers.<\/p>\n

Featured soloists mezzo-soprano Luthein Brackett and tenor Steven Brennfleck will join basso profundo Glenn Miller. Known for his extraordinary vocal depth and resonance, Miller\u2019s commanding voice brings a remarkable richness to All-Night Vigil, particularly in the movement Nunc Dimittis, which demands some of the deepest choral bass notes ever written. Miller\u2019s artistry and profound vocal range add an unparalleled depth to this already transcendent work.<\/p>\n

The Westminster Choir, founded in 1920 and renowned for its artistry, joins us for this extraordinary performance. The choir has collaborated with leading orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra and has been shaped by a legacy of excellence in choral music.<\/p>\n

With 130 voices of the combined choirs, this a cappella performance of Rachmaninoff\u2019s\u00a0All-Night Vigil<\/em>\u00a0will be the Bach Choir\u2019s first time presenting this masterwork, offering a universe of vocal sonorities\u2014some of the most moving music ever written. Don\u2019t miss this opportunity to witness two exceptional choirs and a world-class basso profundo come together for an unforgettable experience!<\/p>\n

Event Details<\/em><\/strong>
\nWhat:<\/strong>\u00a0Bach Choir of Bethlehem’s Spring Concert:\u00a0<\/em>Rachmaninoff’s\u00a0All-Night Vigil<\/em><\/p>\n

When:<\/strong>\u00a0Sunday, March 30th<\/sup>\u00a0at 4pm, doors at 3:30pm.<\/p>\n

Where:<\/strong>\u00a0First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center St, Bethlehem, PA<\/p>\n

Tickets:<\/strong>\u00a0$45, $9 for students. Available at\u00a0bach.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE BACH CHOIR OF BETHLEHEM<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2019s\u00a0Mass in B Minor<\/em>\u00a0in 1900 and\u00a0Christmas Oratorio<\/em>\u00a0in 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\u2019s latest recording,\u00a0Mendelssohn\/Bach Matth\u00e4us-Passion (2024)\u00a0<\/em>was released by Analekta, Canada\u2019s largest indie classic label. The Bach Choir\u2019s 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\u00a0BACH.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE WESTMINSTER CHOIR<\/strong><\/p>\n

Setting the standard for choral excellence since 1920, the Westminster Choir is composed of students at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. The ensemble\u2019s 2024-2025 season includes performances with the International Contemporary Ensemble strings in works of David Lang and Caroline Shawl with the Gondwana Chorale and the New York City Children\u2019s Chorus in New York; of Rachmaninoff\u2019s\u00a0All-Night Vigil<\/em>\u00a0with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem in Philadelphia and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and of Brahms\u2019\u00a0Schicksalsied<\/em>\u00a0with the Princeton Symphony. Recent seasons included concert performances in Washington, D.C., New York, and Connecticut, including the premiere of the James Whitbourn\u00a0Requiem<\/em>\u00a0at Carnegie Hall; a concert tour of Ohio and Pennsylvania, including a performance at the Dayton Westminster Presbyterian Church, birthplace of the choir performances of the Mozart\u00a0Requiem<\/em>\u00a0with the Pittsburgh Symphony; the release of the album\u00a0A Serenity of Soul<\/em>\u00a0on the GIA Choral Works label; and\u00a0Christmas at Westminster: An Evening of Readings and Carols,<\/em>\u00a0seen by public television audiences nationwide in 2023 and 2024. Other recent seasons have included concert tours in Beijing, China and Spain, as well as participation in the World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona.<\/p>\n

Information provided to TVL by:
\nGlenn Koehler<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bethlehem, Pa.\u00a0– The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, America\u2019s oldest Bach Choir, in collaboration with the internationally acclaimed Westminster Choir, is proud to announce its upcoming Spring Concert featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff\u2019s … Continue reading Bach Choir of Bethlehem, In Collaboration with Westminster Choir, Present Rachmaninoff\u2019s All-Night Vigil for Spring Concert<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":140601,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5717,69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-140986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bethlehem","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/bach-choir-logo.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140986"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=140986"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140986\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/140601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=140986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=140986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=140986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}