About Us
The Bach Chorale was originally assembled by Dr. Martin Werner to perform during the inaugural Grand Rapids Bach Festival in 1997. The chorale served as the core chorus in the 1999 Bach Festival performance of the Mass in B Minor and for the St. John Passion in 2001, under the direction of guest conductor Karl Hochreither.
Dr. Martin Werner studied orchestral conducting, cello and choral conducting in his native Germany before spending a year at California State University, Fullerton as a graduate student and student conductor of the University Singers. He received a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Michigan in 1985 and later served as assistant chorus master for the Concert Choir for the City of Düsseldorf, Germany. He was chorus master of the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus from 1993 to 1999 and has also been choir director for several Grand Rapids churches. In 1997, he became music director and conductor for the Bach Chorale.
In the spring of 2009, the Bach Chorale was incorporated as The Bach Chorale of Grand Rapids. As of April 29, 2009, we have been confirmed as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, able to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Like many other ensembles, the Bach Chorale of Grand Rapids was forced into a long hiatus by the COVID pandemic. Our determination to restart concert activities came to fruition in October 2024 when we presented a multi-faceted concert at Central Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, our host for many years.
We engaged string faculty from Western Michigan University in addition to players from the Grand Rapids Symphony. Other participants included a faculty member and some of her graduate students from Michigan State University.
Bach’s Double Concerto for Oboe and Violin, and Sinfonia #9 in C by Felix Mendelssohn were the two orchestral works on the program. Three vocal soloists from MSU joined the Bach Chorale in J. S. Bach’s Cantata BWV 140, “Wachet auf”.
The concert convincingly reflected the vision that has shaped previous concerts and will serve as a model for future endeavors: a splendid mixture of choral and orchestral music, showcasing emerging and established vocal and instrumental soloists.
The music of Johann Sebastian Bach has always been a primary focus of our activities, and we intend to uphold that tradition. In our upcoming concert on Sunday, May 4th, 2025, we will perform J. S. Bach’s motet, “Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden” BWV 230, as well as two movements from “The Art of the Fugue”, arranged for choir. In the interest of variety, a concert may occasionally have a specific motto, inspired by a particular event or circumstance. Our May concert will have such a specific motto: “Seasons”, which will be brought to life by two fabulous works based on that subject — “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi as well as two movements from “Estaciones Porteñas”, the Latin American counterpart by Astor Piazzolla.
We are thrilled to announce an exciting collaboration between BCGR and the School of Music at the University of Michigan. In our concert, Danielle Belen (professor of violin at the U of M) and four of her advanced students will take on the solo parts in the Vivaldi and Piazzolla pieces.
The vision we are pursuing entails the need to grow our vocal ensemble. We believe the Bach Chorale of Grand Rapids is the premier ensemble for the performance of Bach cantatas and other exquisite choral/orchestral works in this area. Experienced choral musicians of all sections are cordially invited to join us! Our expectation is that members will study their parts privately, allowing for a limited number of rehearsals, approximately four per program. Rehearsals will flow easily and productively, with a strong sense of accomplishment each and every time. That’s the kind of ensemble we wish to build, and that’s the experience you can expect.
Interested singers should contact Martin Werner through the audition contact form, here