Founded in 1977 by J. Reilly Lewis, the Washington Bach Consort is a professional chorus and orchestra noted for its performance of 18th-century music on period instruments. It has appeared at numerous festivals and has made three critically acclaimed European tours. Recordings include Bach's complete motets, the Magnificats of both J.S. Bach and C.P.E Bach, and the first American recording of the F Major and G minor Masses, and three solo soprano cantatas featuring opera superstar Elizabeth Futral.
The Consort recently completed Bach's entire 215-cantata cycle. In association with this monumental achievement, the Library of Congress has welcomed the Washington Bach Consort performance recording and concert program archives into its permanent collection.
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“I thought it altogether proper that I should take a brief furlough from official duties at Washington to mingle with you here to-day as a comrade, because every President of the United States must realize that the strength of the Government, its defence in war, the army that is to muster under its banner when our Nation is assailed, is to be found here in the masses of our people.”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)
“The author’s conviction on this day of New Year is that music begins to atrophy when it departs too far from the dance; that poetry begins to atrophy when it gets too far from music; but this must not be taken as implying that all good music is dance music or all poetry lyric. Bach and Mozart are never too far from physical movement.”
—Ezra Pound (1885–1972)