The Bach Choir is a large chorus, based in London, England. It has around 220 active members. The choir's musical director is David Hill and previous musical directors have included Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Reginald Jacques and Sir David Willcocks.
The Bach Choir is an independent organisation, and promotes concerts in London and elsewhere, as well as accepting invitations to sing for others. Singers are subject to triennial auditions in order to maintain standards at the highest level.
The Bach Choir has an extensive recorded output to which it regularly adds new titles, and is also in demand for film scores. Overseas tours are a regular part of the choir's activities, and tours have included Australia and Germany. The choir has commissioned new works from John Tavener (Song of the Cosmos, 2001), Naji Hakim (Gloria, 2003), and Carl Rütti (Requiem, 2007).
The choir's patron is HRH The Prince of Wales and the conductor laureate is David Willcocks CBE, MC. Vice Presidents are Dame Janet Baker CH DBE, James Bowman CBE, Dame Felicity Lott DBE and John Rutter CBE.
Read more about The Bach Choir: Early Years, 20th Century, The Choir Today
Famous quotes containing the words bach and/or choir:
“Music is the effort we make to explain to ourselves how our brains work. We listen to Bach transfixed because this is listening to a human mind.”
—Lewis Thomas (b. 1913)
“O thou, with dewy locks, who lookest down
Through the clear windows of the morning; turn
Thine angel eyes upon our western isle,
Which in full choir hails thy approach, O Spring!”
—William Blake (1757–1827)