National Lutheran Choir – Minneapolis/St. Paul | celebrating the art and culture of sacred choral music

Karl Hochreither, renowned German conductor and Bach scholar, will be joined by Paul Westermeyer and Kathy Romey to deliver new insights into the use of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music in the church.

Together with the National Lutheran Choir and local instrumentalists, the lecturers will discuss and illustrate the relevance of Bach’s music to today’s worship practices and demonstrate techniques to make it more accessible to liturgical choirs.

All events are co-sponsored with Luther Seminary.

 

Calendar of Events

Saturday, February 25, 2006, 8:30AM-3:00PM

Workshop at Luther Seminary for church musicians, music students and the general public. Pre-registration required.

• 8:30-9:15am - “J.S. Bach in Worship Today: Yes, No, Why, Why Not” Opening plenary session led by Dr. Paul Westermeyer, Luther Seminary.
• 9:30-10:30am - Breakout Session I (choose one of the following three topics on morning of workshop)
  • “Vocal concerto principle used in the chorale settings” – Prof. Karl Hochreither How historical performance practice can make Bach’s music more accessible to ensembles of all sizes and skill levels.
  • “Bach for All Seasons” – Dr. Kathy Romey Is there an art to rehearsal technique? Minnesota Chorale director Kathy Romey explores preparation and performance procedures in selected movements from the Augsburg Fortress collection “Bach for All Seasons.”
  • “Bach’s Cantatas in Worship: A Case Study” – Dr. Paul Westermeyer The experience of one small church in the use of Bach cantatas as they were envisioned, in connection with the sermon and its proclamation.
• 10:35-10:55am - Coffee Break
• 11:00-12:00pm - Breakout Session II (repeat of Breakout Session I, choose one more topic, see above)
• 12:00-1:00pm - Lunch (included in registration cost)
• 1:00-3:00pm - Open Rehearsal with Karl Hochreither, National Lutheran Choir, and chamber orchestra

Cost for entire day is $40/adults, $20/students. Registration fee is non-refundable and includes lunch and refreshments.

To register for the February 25th workshop, please

• Use the online form to pre-register, then pay with cash or check (checks payable to Luther Seminary) on the day of the event, or…
• Download a registration form (PDF format) and mail it to the address on the brochure with your payment (checks payable to Luther Seminary), or…
• Call Kris Rongstad in the Luther Seminary Master of Sacred Music office at 651-523-1612

Driving Directions to Luther Seminary

Saturday, February 25, 2006, 3:30PM

Vespers service featuring Cantata 93, *Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten. No admission charge.

National Lutheran Choir and chamber orchestra. Karl Hochreither conducting.

Chapel of the Incarnation, Luther Seminary
Hendon Avenue and Fulham Street
Saint Paul, MN 55108
map to seminary

Sunday, February 26, 2006, 3:00PM

Motet Jesu, meine Freude (BWV 227) and Cantata 30, Freue dich, erlöste Schar.

National Lutheran Choir and chamber orchestra. Karl Hochreither conducting.

Susan Palo Cherwien, soprano
Susan Druck, mezzo-soprano
Oliver Mercer, tenor
John Bitterman, bass

Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church
835 2nd Ave NW
New Brighton, MN 55112
map to church

Tickets on sale at the door:
$16 Adult Ticket
$12 Student/Group Ticket

Biographies

Karl Hochreither performs, conducts, and teaches worldwide. His recent tours of the United States have included performances, seminars, courses and lectures, and he frequiently serves as a judge for competitions and as a guest conductor.

Hochreither’s first position was organist and choirmaster of Protestant Palatinate Church Council in Speyer, Germany. He continued his studies of musicology at the University of Heidelberg, and was sole prize winner of the Berlin Organ Competition in 1961.

In 1970, he was elected Artist in Residence at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. He also served as Artist in Residence at the Asian Institute for Liturgy and usic in Malia, Philippines and at the Taiwan Theological College.

He directed the Bach Symposium at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and was the director of the Berlin Music Days. His concert tours include tours with the Bach Choir and Bach Collegium to Israel, Poland and Japan. He has also conducted workshops on the performance practice in the Philippines and Taiwan.

In 1992, Hochreither conducted master classes for organists in Singapore and Taipei, and made a concert tour with the Bach Choir and Bach Collegium to Chicago, New York and Washington. He has also toured with Bach’s St. John Passion throughout Spain with the Bach Choir and Collegium.

In 1993, he received Award of the title ‘Professoreh’ by the governing mayor of Berlin, “in appreciation of outstanding cultural services to Berlin.”

In the years 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2003, Hochreither was Special Guest Artist and Festival Music Director at the Bach Festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. In 2003 he directed the Bach Symposium at the Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.

Hochreither was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross 1st Class of the Service Medal of the Federal Republic of Germany by the Federal President.

In addition to recordings, he has also published writings analyzing several music works and authored a book entitled The Performance Practice of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Vocal-Instrumental Works. He has made over ten concert and lecture tours of the United States and Canada.

Kathy Romey is Director of Choral Activities at the University of Minnesota, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting, and directs the Chamber Singers and Women’s Chorus.

She is also artistic director of the 200-voice symphonic chorus, The Minnesota Chorale, which serves as principal chorus for the Minnesota Orchestra, and serves as choral advisor to the Orchestra. She has prepared the Chorale for performances with both the Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra under the baton of such conductors as Roberto Abbado, James Conlon, Christopher Hogwood, Eduardo Mata, Nicholas McGegan, Bobby McFerrin, Roger Norrington, Eiji Oue, Helmuth Rilling, Robert Shaw, Leonard Slatkin, Osmo Vänskä, Edo de Waart, and Hugh Wolff.

She also coordinates BRIDGES, the nationally-acclaimed education-outreach program of the Minnesota Chorale. Read more…

Paul Westermeyer began his service at Luther Seminary in 1990 teaching church music, implementing the master of sacred music program and serving as cantor for the Seminary. He had been at Elmhurst (Ill.) College since 1968, where he was professor of music, chair of the department, director of the choir and oratorio chorus, and organist.

He is a member of the American Choral Directors Association; the American Guild of Organists for whom he served as national chaplain for two terms (1991-1998); the American Society of Church History; the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society; the Hymn Society of America for which he has been Editor (1985-1990) and President (1998-2000); the Internationale Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Hymnologie; the Liturgical Conference, the Mercersburg Society, and the North American Academy of Liturgy. Read more…

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