A Message from our Music Director, Matt Carlson

I'm entering my second year of doctoral study in choral conducting at the University of North Texas. I was the TA for the UNT A Cappella Choir last year for two huge events; our performance at the national conference of the American Choral Directors Association and the choir's international tour to Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Before arriving at UNT, I taught in the public schools for 11 years, teaching choir to grades 4-12, general music and elective classes, and served as the artistic director of Gettysburg Children's Choir. It is through these experiences that I came to appreciate the value of local community arts organizations, and how they can enhance the lives of their towns. I'm honored to serve the Denton Bach Society who has done just that for the past fifty years.

To celebrate the legacy of the 50th season of the Denton Bach Society, we have a spectacular program of concerts that honor its legacy and look toward the future. Our fall concert traces the legacy of Bach through his influence on master composers that followed him. Soul, Heart, and Mercy: Bach’s Eternal Legacy features excerpts from the Bach Magnificat, Brahms Liebeslieder Walzer, and Mendelssohn's Elijah. Both Brahms and Mendelssohn were champions of Bach's music during their lifetimes. Choruses from Elijah and selections from the Liebeslieder Waltzer appeared on a "choir favorites" concert in 1999. We bring back these classics to kick off the celebration of our legacy.

Our February concert, Cantata Extravaganza!, include selections from Bach's most famous cantatas, all of which have been performed by DBS in the past. Familiar favorites include Wachet Auf, the Coffee Cantata, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," "A mighty fortress...," "Christ lag in Todes Banden," and choruses that were later used in the B minor mass, which is considered Bach's masterpiece.

We conclude the season with our May concert, titled Bach & Beyond. All the music on this concert is by composers who were inspired by Bach. From English folk song arrangements by Holst and Vaughan Williams to a Swingle Singers jazz cover of a Bach organ fugue, there's something for everyone in this rousing exclamation point to end our year!