Music in the Great North Woods'
Big Moose Bach Fest
Every Labor Day Weekend
With multiple events staged over several days in a variety of locations, this concert series provides a great opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Great North Woods and hear Bach performed by many different artists, on varied instruments of the period. All concerts are performed on original instruments.
Big Moose Bach Fest Archives
Concerts Every Labor Day Weekend
Concerts will resume in 2022
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2019 SCHEDULE
Saturday-Sunday, August 31-September 1, Labor Day Weekend Big Moose Bach Fest X, "Bach's Most Loved Cantatas and Motets" a weekend of pre-concert talks and performances No charge, donations accepted Medallion Opera House, Gorham Town Hall Saturday afternoon @ 3:00 pm Bach Cantatas BWV 54 "Wiederstehe doch" BWV 82 "Ich habe genug" and Motet: "Der Geist Hilft" with soloists Nicholas Garza, countertenor and David Grogan, baritone Saturday evening @ 7:00 pm Lecture by Christopher Anderson followed by a short reception with madrigals by the lesser known and celebrated minimally, PDQ Bach Sunday afternoon @ 3:00 pm Bach Cantata BWV 53 "Schlage doch" Motet "Jesu, meine Freude" and BWV 131 "Aus der Tiefen" under the direction of Susan Ferré original instruments and singers |
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2018 SCHEDULE
Friday-Sunday, August 31-September 2, Labor Day Weekend Big Moose Bach Fest IX, "Bach finally meets Handel" Friday, August 31 @ 5:30-6:30 pm Opening Reception with a short reading/play "Scenes from Handel's Boyhood" 7:00 - 9:00 pm historic film, "The Great Mr. Handel" 1942 Randolph Town Hall, 130 Durand Rd, Randolph NH Saturday, September 1 @ 3:30 pm Bach Chamber music and Motet with Nelli Jabotinsky, Charles Lang and singers Medallion Opera House, 20 Park St, Gorham NH Saturday, September 1 @ 7:30 pm Jose Lezcano, guitar soloist playing works of Bach Medallion Opera House, 20 Park St, Gorham NH Sunday, September 2 @ 2:30 pm Full length performance of Handel's "Messiah: An Oratorio", 1742 under the direction of Susan Ferré original instruments and 16 singers Medallion Opera House, 20 Park St, Gorham NH |
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2017 SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 2 Medallion Opera House, 20 Park St, Gorham, NH Sunday, September 3 @ 4:30 pm Medallion Opera House, 20 Park St, Gorham, NH |
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2016 SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept 2 @ 7:30 pm a Ferre-Lang family Bach concert St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 2 High Street, Berlin, NH Saturday, Sept 3 @ 4:00 pm Harpsichordist Christa Rakich playing the Goldberg Variations Medallion Opera House, 20 Park Street, Gorham, NH Sunday, Sept 4 @ 4:00 pm Choral Concert, directed by Susan Ferré Medallion Opera House, 20 Park Street, Gorham, NH |
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2014 SCHEDULE
Friday, August 29 @ 7:30 pm Reception and Lecture by Quentin Faulkner. "Anna Amalia of Prussia : her crucial role in the cultivation and propagation of JS Bach" Randolph Town Hall, 130 Durand Road, Randolph, NH Saturday, August 30 @ 2:30 pm Organ works and Solo Cantatas David Grogan, Nicolas Garza, and Lucy Tamez Creech, soloists, in the Coffee Cantata and Wedding Cantata, BWV 202 St. Kieran Community Center for the Arts, 155 Emery, Berlin, NH Saturday, August 30 @ 7:30 pm Chamber Music Triple concerto, BWV 1044, for flute, violin and harpsichord, with Andrea LeBlanc, Ellen Lovelace, and Christa Rakich Gorham Town Hall, Medallion Opera House, 20 Park Street, Gorham, NH Sunday, August 31 @ 4:30 pm Solo Cantata 170: Vergnugte ruh, Nicolas Garza, countertenor; Trauer Ode, BWV 198, Susan Ferré director Gorham Town Hall, Medallion Opera House, 20 Park Street, Gorham, NH |
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2013 SCHEDULE
Friday, August 30 @ 7:30 pm Audio-visual Tour of Bach's Organ Music Quentin and Mary Murrell Faulkner, opening reception. Randolph Town Hall, 130 Durand Road, Randolph, NH Saturday, August 31 @ 2:30 pm Brandenburg 4, Bach Solo Cantata 56: Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, David Grogan, baritone, and organ works, Susan Ferré, organist. St. Kieran's Community Center for the Arts, 155 Emery, Berlin, NH Saturday, August 31 @ 7:30 pm Bach solo works for clavichord, Well Tempered Clavier, Book I, Preludes and Fugues, Christa Rakich, clavichordist. Medallion Opera House, 20 Park Street, Gorham, NH Sunday, September 1 @ 4:30 pm Telemann Paris Quartet and Trauerkantate: Du aber Daniel gehe hin; Bach Mass in A Major, soloists, chorus, period instruments under the direction of Susan Ferré. Medallion Opera House, 20 Park Street, Gorham, NH |
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2012 SCHEDULE
August 31 @ 7:30 pm From The Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, Miranda Bergmeier, soprano, and Susan Ferré, harpsichord and organ, followed by the screening of an historic film, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Berlin, NH September 1 @ 10:00 am Quentin Faulkner, Lecturer and Bach Scholar recent publication of Adlung, with audio-visuals from Bach's homeland, Randolph Town Hall, Randolph September 1 @ 2:30 pm Brandenburg Concerto #5 and Leipzig Chorals, Christa Rakich with original instruments, harpsichord and organ, St. Kieran Community Center for the Arts, Berlin September 1 @ 7:30 pm Sonatas for solo violin and viola da gamba with harpsichord obligato "Amore Traditore," with David Grogan, bass, Medallion Opera House, Gorham Town Hall, Gorham September 2 @ 4:30 pm Solo Cantata "Widerstehe doch," Michael Hawn, tenor, Choral Works, Cantata 106, Actus Tragicus: "Gottes Zeit", with soloists, original instruments, Medallion Opera House, Gorham Town Hall, Gorham |
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2011 SCHEDULE
September 3 @ 10:00 am Lecture on Bach and Math with Victor Hill Randolph Town Hall, 130 Durand Road, Randolph, NH September 3 @ 2:30 pm Master Organ Series with Christa Rakich and Peter Sykes, "Clavierubung III" organ and harpsichord, Hook and Hastings organ St. Kieran Community Center for the Arts, 155 Emery St., Berlin, NH September 3 @ 7:30 pm Concert of chamber music, solo cantatas, Olympic organ, Kingston harpsichord, original instruments Gorham Town Hall, 20 Park St., facing the Town Common, Gorham, NH September 4 @ 4:30 pm Concert of Choral works, original instruments, Bedient and Olympic organs St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 2 High Street (at Main), Berlin, NH |
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2010 SCHEDULE
September 4 @ 4:00 pm & 7:30 pm Susan Ferré, Christa Rakich, multiple harpsichords; Charles Lang, viola da gamba, violoncello; with period instruments, singers, etc. St. Paul Lutheran Church, Berlin, NH, September 5 @ 4:00 pm Master Organ Series: Christa Rakich, featuring the works of Bach for organ, The Randolph Church, Randolph, NH, September 5 @ 7:30 pm Concert Cantatas, choral works, Susan Ferré, conducting singers and orchestra of period instruments, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Berlin, NH, |
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What are people saying about Big Moose Bach Fest?
(Quotes pooled from various social media sources)
"One of the incredible gifts you have is how you are able to blend amateurs and professionals, instruments and voices into a seamless garment of sound! To watch you with the performers was to witness one single organism produce something we can only call sublime!"
"Where in the world would we ever be able to see the impeccable virtuoso performance of an artist, completely free from affectation, on an exquisite medium, of the 'Goldberg Variations?'"
"…so grateful to have had the opportunity to witness consummate artistry this past unforgettable weekend! There is so much to rave about, something really special to move and excite us every one of the three programs. We were also moved to see Charley and your beautiful son performing with you!"
"What a weekend you gave all the fortunate members of the fine audiences who attended your concerts! It is impossible to mention many of the highpoints since they were so numerous... The festival keeps getting better every year—in repertoire and performance. We were all blown away by the end of the A Major Mass by the cumulative power and excitement of the music!"
"Sunday was so wonderful, I have not been so moved in a long long time-- it was a sacred and inspiring evening. Thank you with all my heart---"
"We were applauding loudly Sunday afternoon and it was so beautiful I didn’t want to end – We were uplifted by it all – enjoyed all the concerts. Great job!"
"One of the incredible gifts you have is how you are able to blend amateurs and professionals, instruments and voices into a seamless garment of sound! To watch you with the performers was to witness one single organism produce something we can only call sublime!"
"Where in the world would we ever be able to see the impeccable virtuoso performance of an artist, completely free from affectation, on an exquisite medium, of the 'Goldberg Variations?'"
"…so grateful to have had the opportunity to witness consummate artistry this past unforgettable weekend! There is so much to rave about, something really special to move and excite us every one of the three programs. We were also moved to see Charley and your beautiful son performing with you!"
"What a weekend you gave all the fortunate members of the fine audiences who attended your concerts! It is impossible to mention many of the highpoints since they were so numerous... The festival keeps getting better every year—in repertoire and performance. We were all blown away by the end of the A Major Mass by the cumulative power and excitement of the music!"
"Sunday was so wonderful, I have not been so moved in a long long time-- it was a sacred and inspiring evening. Thank you with all my heart---"
"We were applauding loudly Sunday afternoon and it was so beautiful I didn’t want to end – We were uplifted by it all – enjoyed all the concerts. Great job!"
How to Find Us
For more information about Music in the Great North Woods upcoming events:
290 GORHAM HILL ROAD
GORHAM, NH 03581 |
MAIN: (603)-466-2865
FAX: (603)-326-3242 |
info.musicgnw@protonmail.com |
Photo used under Creative Commons from Daniela Snow
