Carmel Bach Festival

We like biologist Lewis Thomas' suggestion about works which would represent the human race at its very finest. Recordings were placed on a disc on the 1977 Voyager spacecraft before its launch on its long journey into space. I would send the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach. But that would be boasting. CSUMB is hosting a celebration of Bach, in particular the 300th anniversary of the Brandenburg Concerti, next Wednesday, March 24. Why would we be boasting when send Bach's music into space? Perhaps next Wednesday will answer that question: https://brandenburgconcerto300thanniversary.com

Congratulations Dashon Burton! Our bass-baritone soloist won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. Burton performed on "Smyth: The Prison" with soprano Sarah Brailey; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra).

Opera Atelier has premiered violinist Edwin Huizinga's latest commission and it is now available to stream. "Something Rich & Strange" included music by Handel, Lully, Locke and Purcell, plus a new creation by Edwin Huizinga for soprano Measha Brueggergosman. https://www.operaatelier.com//something-rich-and-strange-o

Looking for holiday gift ideas? How about recordings of our Bach Festival musicians. The Baroque band ACRONYM is dedicated to giving modern premieres of the wild instrumental music of the seventeenth century and includes several Festival musicians including Adriane Post, Edwin Huizinga, Johanna Novom, Kyle Miller and Paul Dwyer. https://www.acronymensemble.com/albums

Festival violinist and Tafelmusik member Cristina Zacharias has released "Baroque for Baby," a kid-friendly playlist, featuring Baroque repertoire that has particular appeal for younger listeners. Here is Cristina's blog post on her choices: https://www.tafelmusik.org/brea/baroque-baby-curators-notes

Today we say a fond farewell to Liliana Mendez, our development and marketing assistant, and volunteer coordinator. Lili is second from the right in this photo, taken at the 2019 Gala of the CBF staff with the board chair of the Gala, Connie Hess. Good luck and thank you, Lili!

The Carmel Public Library is hosting a program on the birth of the Carmel Bach Festival and its two visionary founders, Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous Wednesday night at 7 pm. Former Festival dramaturge David Gordon leads the presentation. You can register for the free event below.

The Carmel Bach Festival is proud to be part of Monterey County Gives! The Community Foundation for Monterey County and the Monterey County Weekly have been tremendous supporters and partners of the Festival for many years. You can support us via MCGives here: https://www.montereycountygives.com//carmel-bach-festival/

Happy Thanksgiving! The Carmel Bach Festival wishes you peace, safety and hope. From a New York Times interview - Yo-Yo Ma on why we need music now more than ever: "What the pandemic has crystallized in my mind is that we need music because it helps us to get to very specific states of mind. It’s not like, Listen to my music; it will help. But rather, everybody wants to get to certain states of mind during the day, during the cycle of the season. And during a pandemic, wit...h the alienation of not having social contact, music is also that physical force. It’s energy. Then you get to more complex things, like how certain songs elicit memory. Certain smells can get to an immediate childhood memory of your grandmother’s baking apple pie. Music can do the same thing. Your first kiss. Your wedding. And unfortunately, during this time, we’ve lost a number of friends, and you have virtual memorial services and you play music for that. All of which is to say that you do whatever is needed with music. We need music to make us feel at equilibrium through hard times and good times." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prweT95Mo0 See more

The Carmel Bach Festival is beginning its search for its next Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. Our goal is to attract an exceptional musical leader to drive the continuing evolution of the artistic elements of the more than 80-year-old Festival, the longest-running summer music festival in California. Talented musicians, generous donors, devoted patrons, and the beautiful Central Coast community of Carmel-by-the-Sea are the key characteristics of the Festival, sai...d President Cyril Yansouni. We look forward to finding the inspiring, collaborative and forward-thinking leader to build on our solid foundation and provide artistic vision and leadership for the next chapter of the Festival’s life story. More information: https://bachfestival.org/carmel-bach-festival-launches-art/

It would have been easy to miss this last March, but Festival cellist @Paul Dwyer has a new album of the incredible Bach Cellos Suites! Check it out here: https://ampl.ink/dpl15

Get to know the Carmel Bach Festival volunteers! Stay up to date with the latest volunteer information by subscribing to our Volunteer newsletter at bachfestival.org/volunteer. There you will also find our newsletter archive where you can view our latest October newsletter Volume 4, Number 7.

Here is a terrific New York Times article on Festival baritone David Newman's idea of drive-in choirs. People are singing together again, thanks to ideas like David's! https://www.nytimes.com//arts/music/coronavirus-choir.html

During what would have been the 2020 CBF, a group of Festival musicians joined together, recording remotely from various places all over the globe, to share their music and honor the Festival. The group dedicated the music to the Festival, the Board of Directors and Staff, their performing colleagues, and all friends and audience members in Carmel and beyond. All the video recordings have been collated here for your enjoyment: https://bachfestival.org/virtual-events-july-18-august-1/

Thank you Monterey Herald and Lisa Crawford Watson for this delightful profile of Olive and Bruce Grimes. We lost Olive last December, but her passion for the Festival shines though this article: https://www.pageturnpro.com//96786-Carmel-b/sdefault.html

In case you missed it from July, Artistic Director Paul Goodwin and Associate Conductor Andrew Megill shared their favorite Baroque recordings.

In case you missed it last month, here is Fire and Grace (Edwin Huizinga and Bill Coulter) performing in a sublime and serene setting. Let this one transport you! Bach's Sarabande from the First Cello Suite begins the video which was created by Festival Technical Director Doug Mueller.

Maybe, just maybe, the effort to fight the fires here are starting to show signs of progress -- thank you emergency responders! Today we share another beautiful St. Matthew Passion chorale from our Operation Bach team: "Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IljEoy9mtNo&t=85s

As fires rage around us, this performance from our Operation Bach group is so needed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GSLssH4YWc&t=67s

Today's Operation Bach video is "Befiehl du deine Wege" from St. Matthew Passion. Breathe deep and enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o9uJBtpU4I&t=4s

How grateful we are for this daily dose of beauty! A collective of musicians from around the world who became friends at the Carmel Bach Festival. We have joined together, recording remotely from various places all over the globe, to share our music and honor the Festival, whose concerts would have taken place July 18-August 1, 2020.... We dedicate this music to the Festival, the Board of Directors and Staff, our performing colleagues, and all our friends and audience members in Carmel and beyond. Day 9: July 26th, 2020 BWV 244 - St. Matthew Passion Estelí Gomez & Molly Quinn, soprano Virginia Warnken Kelsey & Patricia Thompson, alto Jos Milton & Stephen Sands, tenor Jeffrey Fields, David Newman, & Jonathan Woody, baritone Edwin Huizinga & Johanna Novom, violin Sarah Darling, viola | Paul Dwyer, cello Jordan Frazier, bass | Dongsok Shin, organ David Gordon & Andrew Megill, narration David Newman, audio editing Douglas Mueller, video montages https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpjU3i6GVbA

More from our dedicated and talented Operation Bach team: A collective of musicians from around the world who became friends at the Carmel Bach Festival. We have joined together, recording remotely from various places all over the globe, to share our music and honor the Festival, whose concerts would have taken place July 18-August 1, 2020.... We dedicate this music to the Festival, the Board of Directors and Staff, our performing colleagues, and all our friends and audience members in Carmel and beyond. Day 3: July 20th, 2020 BWV 244 - St. Matthew Passion Ich bins, ich sollte büßen, An Händen und an Füßen Gebunden in der Höll. Die Geißeln und die Banden Und was du ausgestanden, Das hat verdienet meine Seel. It is I, I should atone, bound hand and foot in hell. The scourges and the bonds and what you endured, my soul has earned. Estelí Gomez & Molly Quinn, soprano Virginia Warnken Kelsey & Patricia Thompson, alto Jos Milton & Stephen Sands, tenor Jeffrey Fields, David Newman, & Jonathan Woody, baritone Edwin Huizinga & Johanna Novom, violin Sarah Darling, viola | Paul Dwyer, cello Jordan Frazier, bass | Dongsok Shin, organ David Gordon & Andrew Megill, narration David Newman, audio editing Douglas Mueller, video montages https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njYWn8RPkOE