The Ottawa Bach Choir presents glorious choral music
By Bertrand Doucet
The Ottawa Bach Choir (OBC) is thrilled to welcome you to its 21st season of glorious choral music. The professional ensemble has travelled the world, received national and international acclaim and also won a 2020 JUNO award for Best Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral for its album, Handel: Dixit Dominus, Bach & Schütz: Motets!
Fresh from its return from Bachfest Leipzig 2022 in June– the choir’s second trip to the prestigious festival and fifth time performing in the Thomaskirche where Bach worked for 27 years– the choir is delighted to offer an entire season of choral music, with in-person performances as well as select virtual concerts through our Digital Concert Hall.
The season opens with Baroque Christmas on Saturday, November 26 at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, featuring Heinrich Schütz’ Historia der Geburt Jesu Christi, SWV 435, in commemoration of the 350th anniversary of his death. It will also present festive cantatas by Bach and Buxtehude. The concert will be performed with the Theatre of Early Music baroque orchestra, countertenor Daniel Taylor, tenor Charles Daniels and more. You won’t want to miss this thrilling performance to usher in the Christmas season.
OBC then presents Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem on Saturday, March 11 at St. Matthew’s Church in the Glebe, featuring the chamber version for piano four-hands, arranged by the composer himself, along with works by Telemann and Bach. Pianists Matthew Larkin and Frédéric Lacroix will join the choir for this moving performance.
The final concert of the season, Spring Serenade, on Saturday, May 6 at Knox Presbyterian Church, features gorgeous music for spring, including Haydn’s exquisite Mehrstimmige Gesänge (13 Partsongs) as well as chansons and partsongs by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Clara Schumann and Ottawa native Nicholas Piper. Canadian pianist extraordinaire Elaine Keillor joins the choir for this magnificent concert. The choir also releases its eighth album of Bach’s Six Motets in 2023 on the ATMA Classique label.
Regular-season subscription tickets (at a 10-per-cent discount) are on sale, and tickets for individual live and select digital concerts are also available. The cost of regular-season subscriptions for in-person concerts are: Reserved $135.00, Adults $108.00, Seniors (65+) $94.50, Students and Youth $54.00. For more information, visit our website at www.ottawabachchoir.ca, or email us at info@ottawabachchoir.ca.
The Ottawa Bach Choir is overjoyed to share our passion for choral music with all patrons. Come discover the best that choral music has to offer.
Bertrand Doucet is the interim chair of the Ottawa Bach Choir board of directors.
