Billings Symphony fills the stage to celebrate Bach
Billings Symphony Orchestra AND Chorale are joined by the Bozeman Symphonic Choir and Anne Kania, contralto;
with solos by our own Randy Tracy, violin; Sue Makeever, flute; and Lynette Larson, flute

Billings, MT ─ In a much-anticipated collaboration, the Billings Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, under the direction of Maestra Anne Harrigan, are joined by the Bozeman Symphonic Choir and Anne Kania, contralto—with solo performances by the Symphony’s own Randy Tracy, violin; Sue Makeever, flute; and Lynette Larson, flute—to celebrate the music and life of Johann Sebastian Bach with Happy Birthday, Bach! on Sat., March 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Alberta Bair Theater. “Concert Cues,” a half hour interactive discussion of the evening’s musical selections led by Marvin Granger begins at 6:45 p.m. and is free to all ticket holders.

“Bach is one of the most revered composers in history,” says Harrigan about the composer who was born 323 years ago. “There are Bach societies around the world, Bach Institutes and Bach Festivals. There’s an episode of M*A*S*H* where the inexperienced Radar is coached by the doctors on how to handle a date he has with a woman who loves classical music. When in doubt, just say ‘Ah . . . Bach’ was the advice. In other words, there is a fair amount of Bach Mania in many parts of the country and around the world.”

To add to the concert experience, Harrigan has programmed special lighting and narratives by local actors interspersed throughout the concert so that the story of Bach’s life, in addition to his music, can be celebrated.

Inspired by his deep religious beliefs, Bach’s compositions are revered for their intellectual depth and technical and artistic beauty. The evening’s music certainly demonstrates this and includes Magnificat from Magnificat; Orchestral Suite No. 1; Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring; Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, Randy Tracy, violin, Sue Makeever, flute, Lynette Larson, flute; St. Matthew Passion: Erbarme dich, Anne Kania, contralto; and Selections from Mass in B Minor.

“I think Bach saw the human voice as a direct extension of God,“ says Harrigan who is thrilled to be joining forces with the Bozeman Symphonic Choir, prepared by Russell Milburn, who with our own Billings Symphony Chorale, prepared by John Haughey, will create a wall of sound that so deeply enhances the beauty of Bach’s masterful choral works.

As part of this Bach collaboration, the Billings Symphony Chorale joins the Bozeman Symphony, under the baton of Music Director Matthew Savery, for its March 7 and 8 concerts “Bach to Brahms.”

“The challenge is getting two choirs on stage and having room for an orchestra, hence the Baroque choice of repertoire, which requires fewer instruments and helps in getting everyone to fit,” explains Savery. The Bozeman program includes movements from Bach’s Mass, Magnificat, and Orchestral Suite No.3. Savery has inserted Brahm’s Symphony No. 3, the shortest of his four Symphonies because of the natural imagery and the spiritual feeling. “I am never happier than when conducting Brahms — it is very special to me” Savery said.

As part of the League of American Orchestras annual nation-wide food drive, we encourage folks to bring non-perishable food donations to the March 14 concert. Those unable to attend Happy Birthday, Bach! or who prefer can drop off donations at the Symphony offices or ABT box office lobby from March 9th to 13th.

Happy Birthday, Bach! is generously sponsored by “Design Professionals of Montana,” a consortium of engineering-related businesses, with additional funding provided by a grant from the Montana Arts Council, an agency of the state government; the National Endowment for the Arts; and the Charles M. Bair Family Trust.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Symphony office at (406) 252-3610 or visit www.billingssymphony.org. Ticket prices range from $20 to $43. Student discounts are available with a valid I.D.