The 2024-25 season of the Bethlehem Bach Choir features St. Thomas Choir, Flamenco and Christmas concerts

BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania – From Christmas concerts to a unique performance by the St. Thomas Choir, America’s oldest Bach choir offers classical music lovers a wide variety of choices.

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem’s 2024–25 season begins with its free “Bach at Noon” performances, beginning September 10 and held the second Tuesday of each month at Central Moravian Church.

The new programming is influenced by the European tour of the Bach Choir (founded in 1898), during which it performed in Austria and Herrnhut, Germany.

Herrnhut is the ancestral town of the Moravian settlers of Bethlehem and recently celebrated its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with Bethlehem.

“Last season’s world premiere recording and groundbreaking tour of Germany and Austria were a tremendous success. As we begin the new season, we will continue to innovate and inspire, presenting you with a series of concerts that promise to transport you to new musical realms right from your seat,” said Christopher Jackson, the choir’s artistic director and conductor.

Bach Choir Schedule

Bach at noon
Enjoy some of the choir and orchestra's best choral works for free at Central Moravian Church, 73. W Church St.

A special performance, coinciding with the 130th Bach at Noon concerts, will take place on October 8.

When: 12:10 to 13:00, September 10, October 8, November 12, January 14, February 11, March 11 and April 8.

Doors open for each show at 11:30am.

Winter concert of the Bel Canto youth choir
This year’s “Hope for the World” show features the Da Capo Treble Choir, the Youth Choir and a Concert Choir.

It will include a mix of music from Bach and Mozart to traditional American and Celtic “mouth music.”

The audience is invited to sing along to Christmas carols at the end of the performance.

When: 5:00 p.m., Sunday, November 24, at Wesley Church, 2540 Church St., Bethlehem.

Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Children under 10 are free.

Heavenly Christmas concerts
The Christmas showcase presents the music of Bach and Philadelphia composer Kile Smith.

These include Bach’s cantata BWV “How brightly shines the morning star” and Smith’s “The Consolation of Apollo”. was intended to film the Apollo 8 astronauts observing the Earth's rise over the Moon, as seen in a broadcast on Christmas Eve 1968.

The concert ends with Christmas carols sung together with the audience, including the premiere of a setting of a Moravian hymn by Kile Smith as part of the choir's Carol Commission project.

When: Saturday, Dec. 7, 4 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, 3231 Tilghman St., and Sunday, Dec. 8, 4 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center St., Bethlehem.

Tickets: $45 or $9 (for students up to 22 years old).

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Bethlehem Bach Festival

Greg Funfgeld Family Concert and Youth Choir Festival
Join the dance departments of Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts and Muhlenberg College with members of the Bel Canto Youth Chorus and guests from Westminster Choir College.

In addition, the Bach Choir and members of the Bach Festival Orchestra will perform excerpts from Mozart's Requiem in D minor and Bach's Mass in B minor.

When: 3 p.m., Sunday, February 23, at the Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem.

Tickets: $18, $9 (students up to 22 years).

Gala concert and charity event
Following the Bach Choir’s European tour, the Thomanerchor Leipzig will perform at the Bach Choir’s 2025 Gala.

The Thomanerchor presents works by Bach, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Felix Mendelssohn and Johannes Brahms.

When: Saturday, March 8, 4:00 p.m., Central Moravian Church, 73 W. Church St., Bethlehem.

Tickets: Adults: $55; Students: $9

After the concert, the Bach Choir will hold its gala dinner and benefit event at 6 p.m. in the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.

Benefactor tickets are $275 (includes reserved premium concert seating for the gala concert, a cocktail reception, a gourmet dinner, a silent auction, and a charitable donation to support our youth education programs).

Spring Concert
In collaboration with Westminster Choir College, the concert offers Sergei Rachmaninoff's Opus 37, “The Night Watch” (“Rachmaninoff Vespers”). The 130-member mixed choir will include soloists Luthien Brackett, Steven Brennfleck and Glenn Miller.

When: Sunday, March 30, 4:00 p.m., First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center St., Bethlehem.

Tickets: $45, students (up to 22) $9

Spring concert of the youth choir Bel Canto
Join the Da Capo Treble Choir and Youth Chorale for their spring concert, “In Harmony.” Last spring, the choir invited Vera Voce from Parkland High School to perform with them.

When: 4 p.m., Sunday, April 6, in the Nativity Cathedral, Bethlehem

Tickets: Adults, seniors and students $15 in advance; $20 at the door. Children under 10 are free.

117^th Bethlehem Bach Festival
The Bach Choir will introduce a new festival format compressed into four days, with performances of Bach's B Minor Mass, Bach at 8, the Iifor Jones Memorial Chamber Music Concert, Bach at 4, Chamber Music in the Hall, and additional performances at Zimmerman's Coffee House.

This year’s festival artist in residence is violinist Rachell Ellen Wong.

New this year is the festival series Fire & Grace, a versatile collaboration between guitarist William Coulter and violinist Edwin Huizinga.

The duo will combine classical, folk and contemporary music from around the world with flamenco dancer Fanny Ara.

Click here to view the lineup.

When: 8 – 11 May

Tickets: Adults $25-68; students $9-25

Summer series in partnership with Arts at St. John's
The season ends with the free Bach performances “Bach at Noon” at St. John's Lutheran Church, 37 S. Fifth St., Allentown.

Repertoire and soloists will be announced soon.

When: June 10, July 8 and August 12.

Information about the new season can be found at bach.org.