Concert Review:

https://www.lvpnews.com/

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem 2024 “Christmas Concert,” Dec. 7, First Presbyterian Church, Allentown, and Dec. 8, First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem, explored sonic space for performers and audience in a multi-media experience.

For the concert’s first portion, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Bach Festival Orchestra and soloists, conducted by Bethlehem Bach Choir Artistic Director-Conductor Dr. Christopher Jackson, performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern,” BWV 1, and Johann Kuhnau’s Movement No. 3 from “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern,” translated as “How Brightly Shines the Morning Star.”

The concert’s second portion was the Lehigh Valley premiere performance of Kile Smith’s “The Consolation of Apollo,” accompanied by images of the moon, Apollo 8 space capsule and astronauts, along with the work’s verses, projected on two screens.

Kile Smith was in attendance and took his bows to a standing ovation by the audience.

Featured artists were Nola Richardson, soprano; Katelyn Grace Jackson, soprano; Janna Critz, mezzo-soprano; Kate Maroney, mezzo-soprano; Lawrence Jones, tenor; Nathan Hodgson, tenor; Steven Eddy, baritone, Daniel Schwartz, bass; Elizabeth Field, violin; Claire Bright, violin, and Nobuo Kitagawa, oboe.

information: Bach Choir office, 440 Heckewelder Place, Bethlehem; office@bach.org; 610-866-4382 ext. 110 or 115; https://bach.org/tickets