20th Season Opening Concert

Name: 20th Season Opening Concert
Start: 2025-10-26T14:00:00-07:00
End: 2025-10-26T15:30:00-07:00
Location: Rose City Park Presbyterian Church

Schedule

Sun Oct 26 2025 at 02:00 pm to 03:30 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

Rose City Park Presbyterian Church | Portland, OR

The Bach Cantata Choir opens its 20th season with a free concert at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church, NE 44th and Sandy Blvd, Portland. The choir, orchestra, and soloists will perform Bach’s Cantata #139, Wohl dem, der sich auf seinen Gott; Handel’s Ode to St. Cecilia; and Grossi’s Cantata ebraïca (dialago).
If Bach had a secret desire to compose operas, Cantata 139, with its dramatic aria for bass soloist, would have been a good start. It includes a striking pastoral chorale fantasia and comforting closing chorale, with two arias for male voices, interspersed with brief alto and soprano recitatives. Bach created a realistic scenario of threat and rescue in the bass aria. Like a Job tormented by misfortune, the worshipper here seems to be literally overwhelmed by misfortune and distress, almost crushed by the "heavy" pedal point of the basso continuo. But then the clouds suddenly part, and the movement becomes transparent and light. Bach has presented a veritable rollercoaster of tempi and emotions with this turbulent composition!
St. Cecilia is considered the patron saint of music and musicians. She lived in Rome during the third century AD and was listed as a saint as early as 496 AD. Handel's work is one of many dedicated to St. Cecilia. For several years in the 17th century, a variety of composers created works praising St. Cecelia, and the power of music.
Our Discovery Series composer is Carlo Grossi, a gentile composer and organist living in Venice. He frequently composed music for Jewish communities, using sacred Hebrew text. The term “dialogue Cantata” refers to the dialogue between the cantor and the chorus. This Cantata was composed for the annual Hoshana Rabba celebrations.