SFBC to Begin Season with Bach “Family Reunion”

Poster for this month’s SFBC concert (from the current SFBC home page)

This month will see the beginning of a new season of the San Francisco Bach Choir (SFBC), led by Artistic Director Magen Solomon. The title of the program will be Fruit from the Bach Family Tree. Many readers familiar with Johann Sebastian Bach probably already know that he was only one of many musicians in the family. Many of them were ancestors. However, two of his sons have found a secure place in many, if not most, music history texts. The younger of these, Wilhelm Friedemann established himself as an organist, first in Dresden and then in Halle. Better known tends to be Carl Philipp Emanuel, who first served Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia (later known as Frederick the Great) and then moved to the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, where he was able to maintain a successful career as a “free agent.”

Because SFBC has not yet announced the final program, it is not yet known how much of the family will be represented. However, for those trying to identify the names on the above poster, Johann Ambrosius Bach (located under the word “Fruit”) was Sebastian’s father. That said, Sebastian will probably account for most of the program, which will include solo works for organ (played by Arthur Omura) and cello (William Skeen), along with accompanied suites, sonatas, and partitas.

The performance will take place at Calvary Presbyterian Church, which is located at 2515 Fillmore Street, on the northwest corner of Jackson Street. It will begin at 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 20. General admission will be $40. Seniors aged 62 and older will be admitted for $35, while there will be a student rate of $15. Those under eighteen will be admitted without charge. Ticketstripe has created a Web page through which all levels of tickets may be purchased, along with an option for streamed video for $25. However, the video will be released two or three weeks later, after which it will be available for viewing through December 15. The Web page also includes an option for donations, which will be welcome and presumably tax-deductible.