Sheffield Bach Choir

The Sheffield Bach Choir was founded in 1950 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of J S Bach in Leipzig.

Origins

The choir's origins date back to the time in early 1950 when a series of lectures was given by members of staff of the University of Sheffield's Department of Music. Those staff members included Professor Stewart Deas, Emeritus Professor F H Shera and a lecturer, Roger F T Bullivant, together with invited speakers of note from outside the University.

Diamond Jubilee Celebrations and subsequent seasons

The Jubilee season from November to June 2010-2011 got off to an excellent start with critically acclaimed performances of Mendelssohn's St Paul and Messiah in November and December respectively in Sheffield Cathedral. Returning to the Society's roots in February 2010, Bach cantatas 30 (Freue dich) and 147 (Herz und Mund, with the famous "Jesu, joy of man's desiring") – together with the composer's concerto for oboe and violin were presented at St Mark's Church Broomhill and a special Diamond Jubilee event took place, also at St Mark's, on Saturday 26 June at 7.30 when Christopher Steel's Sinfonia Sacra was given alongside two works of Mozart the Solemn Vespers and Exultate jubilate. At the start of the 2011–2012 season, a gala concert of Baroque music was held in October 2011 at Broomhill to a capacity audience, and Mendelssohn's Hymn of Praise, Hear my prayer and Lauda Sion were given at Sheffield Cathedral in November. The Cathedral was also the venue for Messiah on Monday 5 December 2011, a performance that was the subject of critical acclaim in the columns of the Telegraph. The Choir's final Bach commitment will be a performance of the Mass in B minor at Sheffield Cathedral on Saturday 17 March 2012 at 7:30 pm and the last concert of the current season is on Saturday 23 June at 7:30 in St Mark's Church Broomhill, comprising Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.

Sheffield Bach Society

The lectures were a great success and the Sheffield Bach Society was subsequently founded at a meeting called on 1 May 1950 by Professor Deas. The founding officers were the Bishop of Sheffield – Chairman, Professor Deas - Hon. Director and Mrs Eileen M Denman (a member of the University Registrar's staff) - Hon Secretary and Treasurer. Mr Norman Barnes, music master at King Edward VII School in Sheffield was tasked with forming and conducting a choir. Roger Bullivant was appointed as the Choir's first rehearsal accompanist until becoming Conductor of the Choir in 1962, a post which he held until 2000. Mrs Denman acted as Chairman from 1979 until 1988, then as Choir Secretary and finally Archivist until retiring in 1999.

The Sheffield Bach Society organised their first public programme in the Victoria Hall, Sheffield on 28 November, 1950, with a concert by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. The choir has performed a great number of works through the years, and their first programme was in February 1951. In 1964 Dr Bullivant formed the Society's own orchestra of professional musicians, the Sheffield Bach Players. Concerts in the present day have been accompanied by the National Festival Orchestra under the inspirational leadership of Sally Robinson.

The Sheffield Bach Society is an independent Registered Charity (No 511146), while retaining strong links to the University of Sheffield. For instance, the present Chairman, Dr Anthony Cowling, is a senior lecturer in the University's Department of Computer Science. The choir continues to make a significant contribution to the musical life of Sheffield and typically performs at venues such as Sheffield Cathedral, Sheffield City Hall, the Victoria Hall, the University's Mappin Hall and Firth Hall, St John's Church, Ranmoor, Ecclesall Parish Church and St Mark's Church, Broomhill. However, the choir also performs farther afield, participating in the Sixth Churchill Memorial Concert at Blenheim Palace in May 1971, performing in York Minster in June 1972 and at the Leeds Music Festival in 1981. In 1985 the Society organised a six-week Bach Festival in Sheffield to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the births of both J.S. Bach and Handel, during which event the Stadtkantorei from Sheffield's twin city of Bochum in Germany, performed] Bach's Mass in B minor. In May 1987 the visit was reciprocated when the Sheffield Bach Choir and Players performed in Bochum.

In 1991, the Choir visited Leeds again for a special performance of Bach's Mass in B minor at Leeds Town Hall in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the consecration of Leeds Parish Church on 2 September 1841. The conductor at that occasion, Dr Simon Lindley, was appointed Conductor of Sheffield Bach Choir towards the end of 2008, and took up duties at the outset of the 2009 season. Dr Lindley is Music Director of Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds and was in 2010 appointed Conductor of Doncaster Choral Society, additional to his other Yorkshire posts.

In addition to the concert programme there have been private events such as members´ meetings, receptions, talks, visits to musical events elsewhere and Society dinners. Concerts by invited orchestras have also taken place, such as the performance by the London Harpsichord Ensemble in October 1954.

Despite the "Bach" of the choir's title, their repertoire has never been restricted, and through the years a wide variety of works has been undertaken. For example:

• 1959 - Handel's Israel in Egypt
• 1961 - Handel's Messiah (to become an annual feature)
• 1963 – Handel's Judas Maccabaeus
• 1968 - Haydn's Creation
• 1970 - Mendelssohn's Elijah
• 1972 - Christopher Steel's Jerusalem
• 1986 - Geoffrey Burgon's Revelations
• 1986 - Christopher Steel's Sinfonia Sacra Symphony No 6

Works by a large number of other composers have also been performed, composers such as Brahms, Mozart, Dvorak, Schubert, Monteverdi, Stravinsky, Bruckner, Vivaldi, Elgar, Britten, Vaughan Williams and Tippett. A particular feature of the Society's work has been the performance of less familiar contemporary works, early examples being John Joubert's The Martyrdom of St Alban and Anthony Hedges' Epithalamion. Recent years have witnessed performances of major works by Mendelssohn besides, of course, Elijah; the rarely-heard St Paul was given in Autumn of 2009 and the Hymn of Praise and Lauda Sion in November, 2011.

Both Roger Bullivant and Eileen Denman were awarded MBEs in recognition of their services to music, the former in 1984 and the latter in 1999. Following the death of Eileen Denman in December 2001 a Service of Thanksgiving for her life was held in February of the following year at Sheffield Cathedral. A similar service was held in February 2005 for Dr Bullivant, who had died in November 2004; addresses at this service were given by the University of Sheffield's Peter Hill and by Dr Simon Lindley who was to become the Choir's conductor in 2009. Peter Collis had been appointed conductor on Dr Bullivant's retirement in 2000 and served for almost a decade in that capacity.

Funding sources

With the high costs of mounting Choral performances, over the years additional financial support has proved necessary. During the 1970s South Yorkshire County Council recognised the contribution being made by the Society to the cultural life of South Yorkshire, and provided funding for performances in numerous venues throughout the county. Arts Council Revenue funding was received through Yorkshire Arts Association, via the National Federation of Music Societies (Making Music), Sheffield City Council, and more recently, Arts Council England (although sadly, this has now ceased except for very special projects). Other income has been provided both by individual sponsors and by the Friends and Patrons of the Society, in addition, of course, to the subscription by all choir members and constant fund-raising efforts.