In the spirit of the holiday season, the Bach Society of St. Louis will celebrate with its annual Christmas Candlelight Concert on Thursday night at Powell Hall.
Ahead of the concert, Music Director A. Dennis Sparger and Executive Director Melissa Payton joined St. Louis on the Air to discuss the organization and the concert.
“Whenever we come to rehearsals in September and start rehearsing Christmas music it is so exciting, getting to hear those Christmas tunes,” Payton said. “It has become such a tradition in so many families and that special, serene moment whenever the chorus is processing throughout the hall and singing these familiar carols and hymns, it is just so beautiful.”
In the first half of the program this year, the group will perform John Rutter’s “Magnificat (My Soul Magnifies the Lord).”
“John Rutter is the patron saint of Christmas carols,” Sparger said. “He’s arranged dozens and dozens of them. This is a longer work of his.
In the second half of the program, following the traditional candlelight procession, Sparger said the group “crams as many carols in as possible.”
In addition to the Bach Society Chorus and Orchestra, the St. Louis Children’s Choirs will also lend their voices to the program. At the very end of the performance, there is an encore that audiences can sing along to.
Listen to selections from the Bach Society’s repertoire here:
Related Event
What: Bach Society of St. Louis Christmas Candlelight Concert
When: Thursday, Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103
More information.
St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer and Kelly Moffitt give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.
