Community Engagement
How we support and inspire Dayton
The Bach Society gives singers throughout the Dayton region the opportunity to perform at a professional level, and we inspire Dayton’s upcoming generations with the rich tradition of choral performance.
We also collaborate with Dayton. For twenty years, our collaborative concerts have supported regional arts groups, bridged cultural divides, and reached out to diverse segments of our community.
Our collaborations have been funded by the The Dayton Foundation, Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (MCACD), the Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts, the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), and The Virginia W. Kettering Foundation.
Below are the concerts that engaged our community:
2023-2024 – Along the Silk Road
with The University of Dayton
Along the Silk Road featured choral works in nine languages, including compositions from India, China, Korea, Java, Mongolia, and across the Arab world.
The idea was conceived by Ryu-Kyung Kim, a Bach Society board member and assistant processor of music performance at the University of Dayton. She came up with the initial plan to involve some of the University of Dayton ensembles—the World Music Choir, under Dr. Sharon Gratto, and the Javanese Gamelan Ensemble under Dr. Heather MacLachlan.
The concert also featured guest soloist Latif Bolat, a singer and scholar of Turkish mystic music, and highlighted two brand new compositions: one piece commissioned from Armenian-Canadian composer Vahram Sarkissian and another written by UCLA master's student Morgan Moss, the winner of the Bach Society's 2023 Young Composers Competition. The competition, open to individuals under thirty years old, asked composers to incorporate a text by the 13th-century Sufi mystic and poet Rumi into their submissions.
The concert was generously supported by a Special Projects Grant funded by the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District and administered by Culture Works.
2022-2023 – Favorites
with Stivers School for the Arts
Favorites featured Stivers School for the Arts Chamber Choir, a choir that has displayed choral excellence by consistently earning superior ratings (since 2016) at district and state events adjudicated by Ohio Music Education Association.
Stivers School for the Arts is part of the Dayton Public Schools system and has won the U.S. News and World Report Silver Medal for excellence in schools.
2021-2022 – Renewed: A Tribute to Paul Laurence Dunbar
with the National Park Service
Renewed was a tribute to the life and work of America’s first nationally acclaimed Black writer. Paul Laurence Dunbar was born in Dayton, Ohio, on June 27, 1872.
The tribute was a collaboration with the National Park Service and part of their year-long collective celebration of Dunbar’s 150th birthday. It was funded by a Montgomery County Arts and Culture District grant administered by Culture Works.
The concert featured poetry recitations by Dr. Herbert Woodward Martin, Dayton’s prize-winning poet, performer, and Dunbar poetry expert. It also featured world premieres of new choral works inspired by Dunbar’s poetry. These works were composed by famed composer Adolphus Hailstork and composed by Gabriel Ferraiuolo and Anna DiMaggio, the two winners of the Bach Society’s 2021 Young Composers Competition.
The concert showed that art crosses generations and racial divides to unite us all with the power of words and music.
2019-2020 – Haydn and More
with Stivers School for the Arts
Haydn and More was a collaboration with the award-winning choral program of Stivers School for the Arts, a high-performing Dayton magnet school serving diverse students in grades 7-12.
The concert was a unique and delightful pairing of adult and young choristers, directly supporting the Bach Society’s mission to nurture the next generation of choral singers.
2018-2019 – Songs of Hope and Freedom
with Central State University
Songs of Hope and Freedom broadened the cultural horizons of our community and promoted an understanding and respect for diversity through the arts.
The concert was a collaboration with the Central State University Chorus and presented a shared program of both traditional and modern spirituals. The project brought together two outstanding Dayton area choral groups with different traditions and musical styles to expand the musical and cultural perspectives of the singers and audiences of both organizations.
2017-2018 – Sebastian & Sons
with The Human Race Theatre Company
Sebastian & Sons traced the evolution of music from the Baroque to the Classical periods through the eyes of the Bach family.
The concert gave our audience a unique exposure to the musical legacy of the J.S. Bach family through their music, their relationships, their joys, and their dramas.
The music was personalized through dramatic interludes portrayed by actors from The Human Race Theatre Company. The script for the four-scene play was written by Karen Righter and was supported technically by Dr. Samuel Dorf, Bach Society board member and University of Dayton professor.
2016-2017 – Russian Echoes
with Russian Duo
Russian Echoes introduced the diverse and vibrant flavors of Russian music to our chorus and audience in a concert collaboration with Russian Duo, an international project based in Ohio and born out of love for Russian traditional and classical music.
Russian Duo is a celebration of cross-cultural creativity, exploring the range of possibilities offered by the combination of balalaika, voice and piano. The Duo took us across the span of Russian culture with humorous pieces, pulsating dance music, rhythmic folk songs, gypsy melodies, and lyrical romances.
2015-2016 – The Music of Downton Abbey
with The Human Race Theatre Company
The Music of Downton Abbey merged choral singing with live theatre in a concert collaboration with The Human Race Theatre Company, a professional theatre company exploring the human experience and promoting enlightenment, inclusion and understanding.
The concert featured instrumental and choral music from the post-Edwardian era portrayed in Downton Abbey, the hugely popular British period drama. Actors from the Human Race played fictitious members of the Grantham family whose dialogue tied historical facts to the music and added educational benefits to the performance.
We also sponsored two social events in the community, one for young professionals, and the other one for our typical demographic. The intent for both was to reach out to our community and make wonderful music available to the widest possible audience.
2015-2016 – AMERICAN MOSAIC
with the Dayton Philharmonic, The Dayton Opera, Dayton Ballet, The Human Race Theater Company, Muse Machine, and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company
American Mosaic was a concert collaboration with the Dayton Philharmonic, The Dayton Opera, Dayton Ballet, The Human Race Theater Company, Muse Machine, and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. It was Dayton's largest performing arts collaboration to date.
The performance was an extravaganza celebrating American art and the 50th anniversary of the Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts.
Miriam Rosenthal ensured for decades in Dayton that a variety of organizations, especially Dayton’s cultural organizations, thrived. When Rosenthal died in 1965, the Dayton community established the Miriam Rosenthal Memorial Trust Fund in her honor. The fund is now called the Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts.
2014-2015 – South American Accents
with the Dayton Hispanic Community
South American Accents introduced the music of Spanish composers to our chorus and audience and engaged the growing Hispanic community in Southwest Ohio. It was a concert that featured the Misa Criolla, a stunning folkloric mass from the Argentine.
Outreach for the concert included an advertising partnership with Dayton's Spanish language newspaper; work with the Welcome Dayton immigrant initiative through the City of Dayton Human Relations Council; support from Wright State University's Office of Latino Affairs; and a tutoring program for Hispanic students, who attended a dress rehearsal with their parents.
2013-2014 – CELEBRATING DANCE AND SONG
with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company
Celebrating Dance and Song blended classical choral singing with modern African-American dance in a collaboration with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, a diverse, groundbreaking group of movement artists who have performed globally for nearly 50 years.
DCDC developed all new choreography to fit the music and the performing venue. The dancers used the stage as well as the wide central and side aisles in the sanctuary, giving the audience a feeling of being closely involved in the performance.
Generous funding support for DCDC’s participation came from the Toulmin Fund of the Dayton Foundation and from the Ohio Artists on Tour of the Ohio Arts Council.
2012-2013 – ST. MATTHEW PASSION
with KETTERING CHILDREN’S CONCERT CHOIR
St Matthew Passion nurtured young local singers by expanding their part in Bach's St. Matthew Passion and giving them greater exposure to classical choral music.
The St. Matthew Passion, arguably the most significant choral work in western music, requires two choruses, two orchestras, and a children’s choir. The Kettering Children's Concert Choir sang with the us on several sections and chorales, all in German, and our Music Director John Neely attended KCC rehearsals with instruction on German pronunciation and Baroque performance practices.
We were able to perform the Passion through extraordinary financial support from the Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts and seven other foundations and funders.
2011-2012 – For the Joy of Singing
with the CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY CHORUS
For the Joy of Singing embraced cultural and racial diversity through a concert collaboration with the Central State University Chorus, under the direction of William Henry Caldwell.
The concert was performed in the home venues of both choruses, and our joint rehearsals offered the chance for singers to interact and experience different conducting styles.
The project was generously supported by the Monarch/Genesis Fund of The Dayton Foundation.
2010-2011 – ST. JOHN PASSION
with CAPPELLA
St. John Passion engaged singers from Cappella, the college preparatory chorus of the Kettering Children’s Choir, under the direction of Dr. James Tipps. The ensemble joined our chorus, orchestra, and soloists in a performance of J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion.
The Bach Society and Cappella rehearsed jointly prior to the concert, allowing the groups to make personal connections. German diction support was provided by Win Bernhardt, and our music director John Neely offered special musical instruction. The collaboration also featured a St. John Passion study guide for churches, choirs, and schools.
The concert was funded by the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District and the Monarch/Genesis Fund of The Dayton Foundation.
2009-2010 – FOLLOW THE MUSE
with Muse Machine
Follow the Muse was a collaboration with Muse Machine, a nationally celebrated arts education organization providing artistic and creative exposure to more than 72,000 students and their teachers each year.
Eight talented high school-age singers from the greater Dayton area performed with us. Some students came from Muse Machine-affiliated schools and others from Cappella, the regional high school honors choir of the Kettering Children’s Choir. Young people and school advisers from Muse Machine schools attended the performance at special ticket prices to enhance their learning and enjoyment of the music.
In addition, small ensembles of our chorus presented interactive workshops on Baroque music to senior high choral music students at Stebbins and Centerville High Schools. Our music Director John Neely prepared a study guide focused on the repertoire for the concert, which was made available to teachers at Muse Machine’s affiliated schools. John also acquainted high school educators with the essentials of Baroque organ music during the Muse Machine’s annual teacher/adviser training workshops.
This concert was generously supported by funding from the Ohio Arts Council and the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District.
2008-2009 – THE Art of the MAGNIFICAT
with Gem City Ballet and the University of Dayton Library
The Art of the Magnificat was a concert collaboration with Gem City Ballet to perform a new ballet by Peter Merz set to J.S. Bach’s choral masterpiece, the Magnificat. The project was supported by a generous grant from the Miriam Rosenthal Memorial Trust Fund.
We also collaborated with the University of Dayton’s Mirian Library to create a multimedia presentation of art to accompany performances of both J.S. Bach's and John Rutter’s settings of the Magnificat. The collaboration was funded in part by a grant from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District.
2007-2008 – PROJECT SING
with Xenia High School Vocal Ensemble
Project Sing gave high school students the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and gain experience with music not normally performed by church or school groups. Eight students from the Xenia High School Vocal Ensemble rehearsed and performed with the chorus, soloists, and instrumentalists of our March 2008 concert.
The students deepened their knowledge of great choral music and learned about the possibilities and rewards of singing beyond high school.
The project was partially supported by a Learning and Partnership Grant from the Ohio Arts Council.
2006-2007 – PROJECT SING
with Wayne High School, Centerville High School, and Sinclair Community College
Project Sing gave student chamber choirs from Wayne High School, Centerville High School, and Sinclair Community College the opportunity to prepare and perform serious choral music in a professional environment. The project also showcased the music programs of the participating schools.
The project was made possible through a grant from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District.
2005-2006 – psalm Triptych commissioned work project
with Donald Busarow and Stivers School for the Arts
Psalm Triptych expanded choral horizons within the Dayton community.
The project commissioned a new choral work from Ohio artist Dr. Donald Busarow, a well-known Wittenberg University professor, composer, and performer. The commissioned work was based upon Psalm 100 and demonstrated the interplay between chorus, percussion, and brass.
The project reached out to young musicians to help them understand and appreciate serious choral music. Students from Stivers School for the Arts were offered face-to-face contact with the commissioned composer and a mini-master class in composition. The students could interact closely with a renowned composer, better understand the process of composing, and appreciate the talent and effort that contribute to a successful new work.
The project was supported by an Ohio Arts Council Arts Innovation grant.
2004-2005 – ST. JOHN PASSION
with Muse Machine
St. John Passion introduced Baroque performance practices to students from Muse Machine member schools. The students attended workshops and rehearsals, and they participated in our performance of J.S. Bach’s powerful St. John Passion. The students learned the elements of preparing for and performing in a major baroque choral work, and they were given a copy of the score as a memento of the experience. Their involvement helped increase our contribution to the Dayton arts community, expand our audience, and broaden the choral horizons of local students.
The project was funded in part by a grant from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District.
2003-2004 – SING, MY SOUL
with the African American Community
Sing, My Soul partnered with prominent African-American soloists and university faculty members to expand the appreciation of classical choral music within the African-American community. The concert introduced minority youth to the positive role models of successful African-American artists and aimed to increase the diversity of our audience. The collaborative concert featured both traditional choral music and a collection of African-American spirituals.
The collaboration included educational materials for Stivers High School choral/vocal students and a workshop with our music director, our accompanist, our prominent soloists, and members of our chorus. During the workshop, the students could converse with successful African-American vocalists and seek guidance for their own careers. The students and their director also received complimentary tickets to the concert.
The project was funded in part by a grant from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District.