The 113th Bethlehem Bach Festival will not take place in May because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Bach Choir of Bethlehem officials announced the decision to cancel the internationally-recognized May 8, 9 and May 15, 16 festival, described as “The Heart of Our Season,” in an email to patrons, on its website and in an April 3 press release to the media.

“With an immeasurable amount of sadness, but an abundance of caution, we announce that The 113th Bethlehem Bach Festival, a tradition that has continued largely uninterrupted since 1898, will not take place this year,” the press release and choir website announcement stated.

“Although our season was disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak,” continues the press release, “we are re-scheduling some of our canceled concerts and adding them to our next season, including:

- Handel’s “Messiah,” Part Two, and additional repertoire, “Spring Concert,” March 21, 2021

- The “Chaconne Project,” featuring the music of young composers based on Bach’s “Chaconne,” with 2020 Artist-in-Residence, Eliot Fisk, guitar, to be scheduled as a “Bach at Noon” concert

- “Young American Singers Competition Finals,” date to be announced

Ticket-buyers may choose to donate the value of their Bach Festival ticket(s) as a tax-deductible contribution, a portion of which will help the Choir give some support to members of the Bach Festival Orchestra for their loss of income. Ticket-buyers may also request a voucher good toward future Bach Choir concerts through the upcoming season.

Bach Choir of Bethlehem Artistic Director and Conductor Greg Funfgeld, in his 37th season with the Choir, is the longest-tenured leader in the Choir’s history. With his retirement to come at the end of next season, the 2021 Festival will cap off his career with the Choir, and celebrate his contributions to the Lehigh Valley, the cultural landscape and the world of choral music.

Highlights of Funfgeld’s final Festival in 2021 will include:

- Friday concerts: 4 p.m., 8 p.m., Bach’s “The Saint Matthew Passion” in Two Parts, last performed at the Festival for the 100th Festival in 2007

- Saturday morning concerts: two selections by Taylor 2 Dance Company with Bach Festival Orchestra, and orchestra works with Funfgeld, harpsichord

- Bach’s “Mass in B Minor,” by the Choir and Bach Festival Orchestra

Concerning the 2020 Festival cancellation, Funfgeld stated in the press release:

“Preparation for this Festival has been going on for a couple of years. While it is incredibly sad to cancel these much-anticipated concerts, the safety of all our musicians and devoted audience members is our primary concern.

“How blessed we have been over so many years to share such glorious music and to enjoy the incredible community of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem and its world-wide extended family. This is a temporary interruption, and ‘Bach at Noon’ and all of our concerts will resume as soon as it is wise to do so.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the members of the medical profession who are on the front lines in this pandemic, to first-responders, and to all those who have lost loved ones. May God bless and keep you all.”

The Choir canceled its “Spring Concert,” March 29; its rehearsals at First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem, and the April 14 “Bach at Noon.”

Bel Canto, the children’s choir under the umbrella of the Bach Choir, canceled its rehearsals and its May 2 concert.

With its concerts for the season canceled, the internationally-renowned Choir is hoping to keep spirits up with music in whatever way it can.

The Choir’s performances are posted online as “Moments of Comfort” at www.bach.org/a-moment-of-comfort.

Included are “Gloria Patri” from Bach’s “Magnificat’; “Comfort Ye” and “Ev’ry Valley” from Part One of Handel’s “Messiah.” Recorded performances will be added.

Videos are posted on the YouTube channel, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem.

The Choir has been working on planning the 2020-2021 season, which will feature an Oct. 16 concert by internationally-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, in celebration of the Choir’s final season under the baton of Funfgeld.

Organizers hope Yo-Yo Ma’s presentation, “Truth, trust and service: How culture connects us,” will be a catalyst for an ongoing Lehigh Valley-wide conversation about how culture unites us.

In the program, Yo-Yo Ma will explore the role culture can play in helping one to imagine and build a better future, drawing on examples from his own life as a musician and citizen.

His presentation is rooted in the belief that at a moment when the world is challenged by the pace of change and the divisions it can create, the values that culture promotes, such as truth, trust, and service, are essential to human survival.

“To welcome Yo-Yo Ma back to the Lehigh Valley is a rare privilege and precious opportunity,” Funfgeld says.

“Yo-Yo Ma’s artistry is recognized and admired around the world. From ‘Sesame Street‘ to great concert halls everywhere, he has touched lives and inspired countless souls.

“Beyond his status as one of the world’s greatest artists, Yo-Yo is a profoundly deep thinker. His life, music-making, collaborations with outstanding artists in every discipline, and his interaction with people in every corner of the globe have given him extraordinary insight and wisdom, all of which he will share with us in this incredible program.”

Questions about ticket donations or to request vouchers, contact: Renée James, Bach Choir Marketing Director, renee@bach.org; 610-866-4382, ext. 115. Information: www.belcantochildren.com; www.bach.org.