March Welcome Letter from Eric Holtan
And Now for the Genius of Geniuses!
We have all been waiting a long time to perform the Bach B-Minor Mass for you, and for numerous reasons. The Mass is widely considered to be the pinnacle of Bach’s extraordinary body of work. This monumental work, performed by choir, soloists and orchestra, has been called a “cathedral in sound”; a structure of complexity, beauty and ingenuity that reaches to the heavens and is in itself Divine. The work includes numerous solos, each requiring the highest level of artistry. The solos will be sung by twelve different members of the chorus, once again demonstrating the depth and talent in the True Concord.
Aaron Copland, one of the fathers of the American sound, said of Bach “If one were asked to name one musician who came closest to composing without human flaw, I suppose general consensus would choose Johann Sebastian Bach….”
To be even more straightforward about things, contemporary American composer Michael Torke said “Why waste money on psychotherapy when you can listen to the B-Minor Mass?”
As you are enveloped by the sound of this master, sit back and contemplate the miracle of human creativity, the outcome of invention and the gift of music to us all. Having gone through these last two tumultuous years together, we also embrace with you this music with its power to heal and uplift.
We’re grateful for this music. We’re grateful for you. We’re grateful to share this music with you. And together with you, we look forward with great excitement to our 19th season that is Out of This World!