Maybe it was the donations-only aspect or perhaps it was just a bunch of folks who wanted to experience something other than the Super Bowl or perhaps it’s just the intriguing programming (JS Bach, JC Bach, Telemann, and Sweelinck). Whatever the case, an overflow audience filled Rose City Park Presbyterian Church on Sunday afternoon (February 5) to hear the Bach Cantata Choir perform its annual SuperBach Sunday concert. The nave of the church (balcony and main floor) were filled to the brim with over 500 people, and all of the seats were taken the side-room (or parlor) as well. Ralph Nelson led the 50-voices of the BCC in an exciting performance of works and the orchestra played a fourth, Telemann’s Viola Concert with Karen Vincent as the soloist.
In JS Bach’s Cantata #11 (aka “the Ascension Oratorio,” soprano Nan Haemer, alto Irene Weldon, tenor Byron Wright, and baritone Jacob Herbert distinguished themselves with fine performances as did the choir and the chamber orchestra. The trumpet section, in particular, did an excellent job of maintaining high energy while not blasting everyone out of the church. The choir also sang Jan Sweelinck’s “Laudate Dominum” very well a cappella. The concert ended with a dramatic performance of JC Bach’s “Es erhub sich ein Streit” (“There arose a war”). Since I sang in this concert (tenor in the choir), I will not state anything further, except that the huge audience was much appreciated by the choir.
James Bash writes articles for a variety of publications, including magazines such as Opera America, Open Spaces, Opera, MUSO, International Arts Manager, American Record Guide, Symphony, Opera Canada, and PSU Magazine. The newspapers include Crosscut, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The Oregonian, The Columbian, The Portland Tribune, The Register-Guard, and Willamette Week. James has also written a number of articles for the Oregon Arts Commission and contributed articles to the 2nd edition of the Grove Dictionary of American Music. James was a fellow to the 2008 NEA Journalism Institute for Classical Music and Opera. He is a member of the Music Critics Association of North America (mcana.org) and lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Kathy.
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