Bach in Baltimore performs Bernstein Chichester Psalms & More on Dec 4

Bach in Baltimore presents Season for Psalms: Bernstein Chichester Psalms & More on Sunday, December 4 at 4 p.m. at the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, 7401 Park Heights Avenue in Baltimore. Under the Direction of Maestro T. Herbert Dimmock, the Bach in Baltimore Choir and Orchestra showcases the wonders of the Psalms, performing musical settings of the Psalms written over a span of more than 500 years, from the Italian Renaissance to the present day. At the center of the program is Leonard Bernstein’s 20th-century polytonal masterpiece Chichester Psalms. Live and Live-Streamed tickets are available at bachinbaltimore.org.

Although his most popular success in his lifetime was as a conductor, Leonard Bernstein always considered himself a composer first and foremost. Bernstein adopted a populist style as a composer, weaving together classical techniques with stylings heavily informed by contemporary rock, pop, & jazz music. His most widely known work remains the Broadway musical "West Side Story" which has been adapted twice for the cinema. Chichester Psalms was commissioned by the dean of Chichester Cathedral, an Anglican cathedral located in West Sussex, England. Bernstein created a setting of six Psalms sung in Hebrew that fused together the traditions of Christian and Jewish sacred music. His composition powerfully illustrates the power and possibility of peace and brotherhood, a message that resonates deeply no matter the season or reasons for celebrating it!

In addition to Bernstein’s Chicester Pslams, the program also includes the World Premiere of Cantor Ben Ellerin’s Psalm 121. Cantor Ellerin became the cantor and music director at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation in 2018. He holds a Master of Sacred Music and ordination from Hebrew Union College in New York and completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. In addition to his work within the synagogue, Cantor Ellerin has appeared as a guest soloist in concerts throughout the wider Jewish community, featuring repertoire spanning a wide array of classical, Israeli, Jewish, Yiddish, American folk, and contemporary music, as well as his own original works. His compositions have been performed by the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial Choir and in Jewish communities and camps across North America, Europe, and Israel.

The oldest work on the program, Giovanni Gabrieli’s most famous work, In Ecclecsiis, is a polychoral wonder. Also featured are a selection of psalms from the great German Baroque composer and organist Heinrich Schütz; Austrian Romantic era composer Franz Schubert; 19th century German composer Felix Mendelssohn; and American contemporary pop and folk-jazz singer/songwriter Bobby McFerrin.

Individual adult tickets ($33-35), Student tickets ($10 with Student ID), children’s tickets ($5), and live-streaming tickets (starting at $5) are available for purchase at bachinbaltimore.org, by calling 410-941-9262. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door, beginning at 3:30pm.