Soli Deo Gloria: An Evening of Bach Cello Suites

Name: Soli Deo Gloria: An Evening of Bach Cello Suites
Start: 2025-10-02T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-10-02T20:00:00-05:00
Location: 120 N 9th St, Fort Smith, AR, United States, Arkansas 72901

Schedule

Thu Oct 02 2025 at 07:00 pm to 08:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

120 N 9th St, Fort Smith, AR, United States, Arkansas 72901 | Fort Smith, AR

UK-based cellist Patrick Bellah returns home to Fort Smith for his first full-length recital at Covenant since 2017, this time an evening of Bach cello suites! Join us for this free concert on Thursday, October 2 as Dr. Bellah brings a historically informed approach to the evening, playing Suite Nos. 2, 3, and 4 in their entirety on a period-appropriate instrument.
THE PROGRAM
The title "Soli Deo Gloria" comes from Bach himself, a devout Lutheran and church musician who signed many of his manuscripts with the initials “SDG," a final reminder that all his music was written "to the glory of God alone." This phrase was also one of the five solas of the Protestant Reformation, which began in Bach’s native Germany and is celebrated each October by Protestants the world over.
Bach’s six cello suites are among the most beloved works in the instrument’s repertoire, blending technical mastery with profound emotional depth. Each suite follows the same structure (an opening prelude followed by a series of stylized dance movements) but each has its own unique character. Suite No. 2 is often described as introspective and searching, Suite No. 3 as bold and joyful, and Suite No. 4 as expansive and full of harmonic richness.
Though these suites were not composed as explicitly sacred works, they still testify to God’s common grace, which includes the gift of music itself. Throughout the evening, we will see this gift played out through the masterful composition of Bach and through the talent of Dr. Bellah to play it.
ARTIST BIO
Praised for his "musical honesty" by acclaimed Polish cellist Kazimierz Michalik, Patrick Bellah has made it a personal priority to connect with his audiences. Whether performing small recitals in Fort Smith, Arkansas or solo and chamber performances across Europe, he considers authentic human connection to be the highest goal of any artist.
Dr. Bellah has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral cellist nationally and internationally. In 2011, he performed as a solo recitalist at the Kołobrzeg International Music Festival in Poland, and in 2015, as part of the Northwest Arkansas String Quartet, he gave the world premiere of Florence Price's long-lost String Quartet in G major, later featured on American Public Media's Performance Today. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, he embarked on a series of three recital programs exploring the cello’s unaccompanied solo voice. The first, Rebirth, was performed in 2021 to a sold-out audience in Wiesbaden, Germany. The second, Resilience, began in 2024 in Vienna, Austria, with performances continuing in Arkansas. The final installment, Remembrance, is set to begin in 2025 in the United Kingdom.
As an orchestral musician, Bellah has served as Principal Cellist of the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra and as a section cellist with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, and the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra. Notable artists with whom he has shared the stage include Vadim Gluzman, Cicely Parnas, Alexander Markov, Amy Porter, Jon Kimura Parker, Jack Gibbons, and Zuill Bailey.
Dynamic and original compositions are also part of Patrick's musical output, including a cello quintet, a string quartet, and his arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner for 12 cellos, commissioned by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011. He has also worked as a studio recording artist with bands including Bear Colony (We Came Here to Die, 2007) and Norma Jean (Wrongdoers, 2013).
Patrick began his teaching career at 17 and has since served as Instructor of Cello at John Brown University, Eastern Mennonite University, and EMU’s Preparatory Music Academy. An accredited Suzuki teacher, he maintains a private studio with students ranging in age from 7 to 73. He studied with Tomasz Zieba, Stephen Gates, Felice Farrell, and Carl Donakowski, making him a second-generation student of Janos Starker, Paul Olefsky, and William Pleeth.
Patrick holds degrees from Oklahoma City University, the University of Arkansas, and James Madison University. He plays two celli: a 2015 instrument by Wayne Burak and a 2013 baroque cello by Maciej Łacek. Patrick and his family currently reside in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, where he is active as a soloist and teacher.