Author: Anne Adams

Sheffield Bach Society's Social Secretary and Web site manager. I'm a Trustee of Classical Sheffield and of Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus (SPC), for which I'm also the Administrator. I sing first soprano with the Sheffield Bach Choir, and second soprano with SPC and with the Sheffield Lydian Singers.

AGM goes online

Sheffield Bach Choir is going ahead with its AGM next week – on Zoom.

The choir, like all groups across England, are unable to meet because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Members will join us online using Zoom” said Chair Chris Walker, “The AGM will be the same as in previous years, but on-line rather than live. Unfortunately that means there won’t be any tea and biscuits!”

A key element of the AGM will be the approval of the Sheffield Bach Society financial accounts and annual reports.

“Like many choirs, we subsidise many of our concerts, as ticket sales rarely cover all the costs” explained choir treasurer Kitty Ross, “So funnily enough, having to abandon concerts has meant we have benefitted a bit financially. Though I’m sure choir members would choose singing over funds!”

The AGM is on Monday 16th November at 7.30pm and is likely to last about 40 minutes.

Newsletter now out

The Sheffield Bach Choir’s regular Summer Newsletter has just been sent to members and you can read it here.

‘We use the newsletter to keep in touch with members when we aren’t singing together over the summer, and to tell them about the coming season’ said choir Chair Chris Walker, ‘We’re determined not to let the current situation get us down, so we’ve published the newsletter just the same – albeit a somewhat shorter version than usual!’

The newsletter sets out the programme the choir is hoping to present in 2020-21, which includes a re-scheduling of the choir’s annual Messiah to April – and a veritable feast of Bach!

Click on this link to read the Summer Newsletter

Choir to celebrate Dr. Bullivant’s centenary

The 23 March 2021 marks the centenary of the birth of Dr Roger Bullivant, and the Bach Choir is hoping to be able to arrange suitable commemoration of this highly significant anniversary of the choir’s former Music Director.

Born in his home town of Rugby, Dr Bullivant’s remarkable contribution to music making can never be under-estimated, particularly in the City and University of Sheffield where he lived and worked for over half a century.

Watch for announcements in Autumn and early Winter of 2020.#

Read ‘Remembering Dr. Roger Bullivant’.

Read more about the Bach Choir’s history.

Summer Newsletter

The Bach Choir hopes to be issuing a Summer Newsletter towards the end of, rather than our normal time of early August. Watch this space! As usual in recent years, the Newsletter will be sent out electronically, with hard copies going only to those who specifically request them or who are not on email at home.

Keeping Music in Mind!

It has becoming increasingly clear that the arrangements for rehearsals and concerts in the last quarter of 2020 are continuing to be very uncertain, with a number of hugely significant factors still well in play in connection with the pandemic.

The Officers, Committee and music professionals are discussing the many issues involved on a regular basis and will endeavour to keep all members, friends, patrons and subscribers in contact on a monthly basis from August onwards.

Memorable Mass in B minor

Saturday 7 March 2020

The John Dethick Memorial Concert

The choir sings each of Bach’s most celebrated choral works in rotation every three years, and this year presented his choral masterpiece, the magnificent Mass in B minor as the 2019 John Dethick Memorial concert in Sheffield cathedral on Saturday 7 March.. Widely regarded as one of the greatest compositions in musical history, the B minor mass is a favourite of the choir’s, as was obvious on the night.

Sopranos Jane Burnell and Claire White–Mckay, alto Lucy Appleyard, tenor David Brown and bass Quentin Brown put in memorable performances, as did the National Festival Orchestra, ably conducted by Dr. Simon Lindley. The concert proved to be a highlight for local music lovers over the Easter period.

 

 

 

Singalong Messiah moves to Norton

Monday 9 December 2019

This year the choir’s very popular Come and Sing Messiah moved to St James’ Church, Norton, Church Road S8 8JQ – and filled the church to capacity! The move to a new venue proved to be very successful and will probably be repeated next year.

This lively sing-along, excluding the passion-tide movements, was conducted by the choir’s President Professor George Nicholson, with Dr Simon Lindley providing full orchestral accompaniment on the organ. With mulled wine and mince pies in the interval, this was a wonderfully festive evening.

Mesmerising Messiah

Monday 2 December 2019

Sheffield Bach Choir’s annual performance of Messiah alongside the National Festival Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Simon Lindley, offered Sheffield music lovers a splendid opportunity to include a live performance of Handel’s wonderful oratorio in their Christmas preparations. The choir quite obviously enjoy singing this wonderful oratorio, which they clearly know very well indeed, and soloists Peyee Chan, Margaret McDonald, Tim Kennedy and James Geidt were quite magnificent, making this was a truly memorable performance.