BACH at NEW YEAR’S - The Six ‘Brandenburg’ Concertos
December-January

Our holiday favorite returns with Artistic Director Eugene Drucker leading the Berkshire Bach Ensemble in performances of all six iconic ‘Brandenburg’ Concertos, in three venues. This is the first time since the pandemic that Berkshire Bach presents all six ‘Brandenburgs’ in one concert, continuing a 30-year Berkshires holiday tradition. Come join the fun!

Monday, December 30, 2024 | 7pm
Academy of Music |Northampton, MA
Tickets: 413-584-9032 • boxoffice@aomtheatre.com
Box Office Hours: Tues-Fri, 3-6pm

Tuesday, December 31, 2024 | 6pm
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center |Great Barrington, MA
Tickets: 413-528-0100 • boxoffice@mahaiwe.org
Box Office Hours: Wed-Sat, Noon-4pm

Wednesday, January 1, 2025 | 3pm
Co-presented with WMHT
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall |Troy, NY
Tickets: 518-273-0038 • tickets.troymusichall.org
Box Office Hours:  Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm

BBS Member pre-sale September 18
Public sale September 24 

THE BBS ORGAN MASTERS - February 8 and April 5
Two historic organs, two consummate organists

UU Meeting House, Housatonic

February 8, 2025, 2:00 pm
Renée Anne Louprette plays The Best of Bach—The Great Organ Works on the historic Johnson organ.
George Stauffer, PhD, provides commentary about Bach’s life and music.

J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in G, BWV 541
J.S. Bach: Transcriptions from Cantatas, BWV 106, 137, 140, 147, 208
J.S. Bach: Fugue in G minor (“Little”), BWV 578
J.S. Bach: Toccata in D minor, BWV 565

Tickets: $45 Nonmembers | $40 BBS Members | $10 Card-to-Culture | Children & Students FREE
Two-concert Package: $85

First Congregational Church, Great Barrington

April 5, 2025, 4:00 pm
Peter Sykes plays the Great Roosevelt Organ in a program that displays the remarkable versatility of this cultural treasure.
Mr. Sykes is intimately familiar with the Roosevelt Organ and brings out the full beauty of the instrument in every style of music, from
Baroque to 20th century repertoire.

Tickets: $45 Nonmembers | $40 BBS Members | $10 Card-to-Culture | Children & Students FREE

May 2025

BACH’S ST. JOHN PASSION
Dates and venues to be announced

Choral conductor James Bagwell leads professional soloists, chorus, and Baroque orchestra in J.S. Bach’s masterpiece in what promises to be among the most important performances of the season. The St. John Passion is Bach’s earliest surviving passion—freer and more extravagant than his later work in the genre—and a deep exploration of faith. Mr. Bagwell leads two performances of St. John Passion for audiences across the Berkshire Bach listening area.

Tickets available in January through the venues

EUGENE DRUCKER & FRIENDS
A Berkshire Bach Fundraiser marking Mr. Drucker’s appointment as Artistic Director of The Berkshire Bach Society
Saturday, August 3, 2024 | 5pm

Kellogg Music Center | Bard College at Simon’s Rock
84 Alford Road | Great Barrington, MA

All Seats: $80 in advance| A Reception follows the Concert

EUGENE DRUCKER, violin, ROBERTA COOPER, cello, and RENÉE ANNE LOUPRETTE, piano. 

J.S. Bach: Partita No. 2 in D minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1004: Sarabande | Eugene Drucker, Violin
W.A. Mozart: Piano Trio No. 2 in G Major, K. 496 | Ensemble
F.J. Haydn: Piano Trio No. 39 in G major, Hob. XV/25 | Ensemble
J. Brahms: Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano in G minor, Op. 78 | Eugene Drucker Violin, Renée Anne, Louprette Piano

*****

This concert is SOLD OUT. You may put your name on the mailing list in the event there are cancellations by calling 413-528-9555 and leaving a message. We will call you back with availability.

****************

Audience Reaction:
“This was such a perfect event—from the magnificent performance to the beautiful reception to the opportunity to meet the musicians! Who knew Eugene Drucker played such a mean gypsy violin? Thank you, Berkshire Bach!”

THE BBS HARPSICHORD FESTIVAL
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
29 Main Street | Stockbridge, MA

September 21, 2024 |4 pm
Peter Sykes plays a 50th Anniversary Concert commemorating his first public harpsichord recital in 1974.

Louis Couperin: Suite in F Major
J.P. Sweelinck: Mein junges Leben hat ein End
J.S. Bach: Concerto in the Italian Style, BWV 971
Nicola Saraceni Canzano: Partita in B-Flat Major

****************

Audience Reaction:
“This concert was pure magic. All I can say is that I’m in love with Louis Couperin.”

October 19, 2024, 4pm
Elliot Figg and Caitlyn Koester play ‘Skeletons of the Opera,’
Transcriptions of Baroque opera for Harpsichord, Four Hands.

H. Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
G.F. Handel: Opera Overtures
E. Jacquet de La Guerre: Selections
J-B Lully: Selections transcribed by D’Anglebert

****************

Audience Reaction
“What fun! And serious music chops, too! Thank you, Berkshire Bach, for a delightful afternoon!”

THE BBS ANNUAL MESSIAH SING-ALONG - FREE!
November 30, 2024, 4 pm

First Congregational Church, Great Barrington

The audience becomes the chorus in this FREE community sing-along led by Choral Conductor James Bagwell, sponsored by the Local Cultural Councils of Alford-Egremont, Lenox, New Marlborough, Sheffield, and Stockbridge. Bring your own score or borrow one of ours, raise your voice, and sing! All singers and listeners welcome.

*****************

Audience Reaction
“This was so much fun! And working with James Bagwell—he’s just fantastic! Thank you, Berkshire Bach, for doing this. We look forward to it every year!”

COMPLETED EVENTS in our 2023-2024 SEASON

A BAROQUE SPRING POSY

We ended our season with a sell-out crowd listening to music for Baroque Violin and Harpsichord by J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel. Thank you for making our season a success! We’ll see you in August for the start of our next season!

Saturday, June 8, 2024 | 4pm

Kellogg Music Center | Bard College at Simon’s Rock
84 Alford Road | Great Barrington, MA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

J.S. Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier II:  Prelude in A Major, BWV 888
Sonata No. 2 in A Major for Violin and Harpsichord obbligato, BWV 1015
Sonata No. 3 in E Major for Violin and Harpsichord obbligato, BWV 1016

G.F. Handel: Sonata in G minor for Violin and Basso Continuo, HWV 364
Harpsichord Suite in F Major, HWV 427

JAMES BAGWELL CONDUCTS MAGNIFICAT

Thrills, chills, and tears of joy! Thank you all for coming to our concert honoring our chairman ADRIAN VAN ZON. Here’s one audience member’s take:

“On Saturday, May 11, I was fortunate to be able to attend the Berkshire Bach presentation of CPE Bach's Magnificat and JS Bach's Magnificat, a program that honored their long-time Board Chair, Adrian van Zon. I cannot adequately say how wonderful and moving the performances were!  The vocal and orchestral performers were terrific and sang and played as if they had been working together for years (which they had not!).  The conductor, James Bagwell, must get credit for this unity.  The audience was highly appreciative of their work, as judged by the prolonged standing ovation and later comments I heard, including that some were brought to tears….”

Saturday, May 11, 2024 | 4pm

The First Congregational Church
251 Main Street | Great Barrington, MA

James Bagwell conducts professional soloists, chorus, and Baroque orchestra in a much-anticipated performance of two Magnificats by father and son—J.S. and C.P.E. Bach.  Join Berkshire Bach for this special event and hear different settings of the Song of Mary that is one of the most ancient hymns in the Christian tradition and an inspiration to composers from the Renaissance to the 21st centuries.

THE BERSHIRE BACH ORGAN MASTERS
II. PETER SYKES PLAYS THE GREAT ROOSEVELT ORGAN

Thank you for a thrilling afternoon! The organ is amazing—thank you for making it sing with such beautiful music!

Saturday, April 13, 2024

The First Congregational Church
251 Main Street | Great Barrington, MA

THE BERSHIRE BACH ORGAN MASTERS

I. RENÉE ANNE LOUPRETTE PLAYS THE HISTORIC
JOHNSON ORGAN

Thank you for a wonderful recital—perfect repertoire for the Housatonic organ!

Saturday, February 10, 2024 | 2pm

The Unitarian Universalist Meeting House
1089 Main Street | Housatonic, MA

GEORGE STAUFFER, PhD, provides commentary on Bach’s Music, Life, & Times

BACH AT NEW YEAR’S: A VERY BAROQUE CELEBRATION

“Toes tapping and head nodding in time with the music—I looked around and saw I wasn’t alone!”

Saturday, December 30, 2023 | 7pm
Academy of Music |Northampton, MA
Tickets: 413-584-9032 • boxoffice@aomtheatre.com
Box Office Hours: Tues-Fri, 3-6pm

Sunday, December 31, 2023 | 6pm
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center |Great Barrington, MA
Tickets: 413-528-0100 • boxoffice@mahaiwe.org
Box Office Hours: Wed-Sat, Noon-4pm

Monday, January 1, 2024 | 3pm
Co-presented with WMHT
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall |Troy, NY
Tickets: 518-273-0038 • tickets.troymusichall.org
Box Office Hours:  Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm

THE STOCKBRIDGE MAIN STREET AT CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY CONCERT

WITH THE BERKSHIRE BACH PLAYERS

Saturday, December 2, 2023 | 7pm

Thanks for helping make this event a success for the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce! We loved playing for you!

 First Congregational Church
4 Main Street | Stockbridge, MA

MESSIAH SING!

Saturday, November 25, 2023 | 4pm

Thank you for coming and for making this one of the most successful sing-alongs ever!

The First Congregational Church
251 Main Street | Great Barrington, MA

The audience performs in this FREE community event!

THE BERKSHIRE BACH HARPSICHORD FESTIVAL

Kellogg Music Center | Bard College at Simon’s Rock
84 Alford Road | Great Barrington, MA

I. THE SOLO HARPSICHORD with Mariken Palmboom

Saturday, October 14, 2023 | 4pm

THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO THIS WONDERFUL EVENT! It was a very special afternoon.

II. THE ENSEMBLE HARPSICHORD with Elliot Figg and Caitlyn Koester

Sunday, November 12, 2023 | 4pm

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING! We really enjoyed showcasing our harpsichords in the Festival.

THE ORGAN MASTERS-I:
RENÉE ANNE LOUPRETTE
plays the historic Johnson Organ

Saturday, February 11, 2023

Music by J.S. Bach, J.A. Reincken, J. Pachelbel, and N. Bruhns

JAMES BAGWELL CONDUCTS BACH AND VIVALDI

May 13, 2023

A. Vivaldi: Stabat Mater, RV 621
J.S. Bach: Cantata, Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV 4
J.S. Bach: Cantata, Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (The Coffee Cantata)