What is Bach Choir?
The '''Bach Choir''' is a world-famous [[amateur]] [[choir (music)|choir]] based in [[London]]. They sing the [[music]] of many [[composer]]s, not just [[Johann Sebastian Bach]]. ==History== The Bach Choir gave its first [[concert]] on [[26 April]] [[1876]] with a performance of Bach’s ''[[Hohe Messe|Mass in B minor]]''. At this time more and more people in [[England]] were becoming interested in the music of Bach, but the ''Mass in B minor'' had never been performed in England. The conductor [[Otto Goldschmidt]] conducted the concert, and afterwards the Choir's committee decided to make The Bach Choir a permanent choir. Otto Goldschmidt was appointed as the Musical Director. In those days all choir members came from rich families (the upper classes). New members had to pass an [[audition]], but they also had to be “proposed” (recommended) by existing members and accepted by the [[committee]]. [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] became [[Patron]] of the choir in [[1879]]. The Choir sang music by lots of different composers as well as Bach’s [[motet]]s, [[church music]] and the ''Mass in B minor''. Goldschmidt resigned in [[1885]] and [[Charles Villiers Stanford]] became [[Conducting|conductor]]. Stanford had already become well known as [[pipe organ|organist]] of [[Trinity College, Cambridge]] and conductor of the Cambridge University Musical Society. He widened the [[repertoire]] of the Choir, and the concerts also included works for [[orchestra]]. [[Hubert Parry]] composed his popular [[anthem]] ''[[Blest Pair of Sirens]]'' for the choir to sing at the [[Golden Jubilee]] of the Queen in [[1887]]. The Jubilee concert also included the first London performance of [[Berlioz]]'s ''Te Deum'', a work dedicated to the late [[Prince Consort]]. ==20th century== Towards the end of the nineteenth century changes were made, including regular [[audition]]s for existing choir members, and stopping the requirement for new members to be proposed. [[Henry Walford Davies]] became the conductor. He improved t