Everyone loves a really great sequel to an outstanding film, book or athletic championship; such is the case for Georgetown’s newest and truly exceptional music festival, the second annual 2018 Texas Bach Festival, Bach In the Saddle Again (www.texasbachfestival.org), to be unveiled July 5-8 at St. Helen Catholic Church in Georgetown.
As a new player in Georgetown’s active performing arts scene in July 2017, TBF’s triumphant inaugural Festival passionately displayed its mission to “champion and advance the great and timeless music of Johann Sebastian Bach and subsequent composers inspired by him in the Georgetown and greater Central Texas areas,” including two free concerts at the Georgetown Library and historic Courthouse, and four Festival series concerts at St. Helen. TBF’s exceptional roster of vocal, choral and instrumental performers expertly delivered a splendid variety of art songs, chamber music, cantata and choral/orchestral works by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann and Brahms, selling over 700 tickets and delighting audiences at every opportunity. Founded and led by Dr. Barry Scott Williamson, also Director of Music at St. Helen, much important progress was made laying groundwork with the Georgetown business, media and Arts communities, helping establish its donor and audience base. As a result, TBF experienced a thrilling and healthy first season, organizationally, artistically and financially, setting up an exciting future. And, accordingly, TBF’s 2018 Festival, Bach In the Saddle Again, promises to deliver even more, expanding to 9 total concerts, and unveiling a new ensemble, the TBF Camerata. The 2018 concert schedule began on April 22 with the first of four free/outreach concerts, the last of which will be in Sun City July 1, and culminates with five festival series concerts July 5-8, including four at St. Helen and one in Aus-
tin. The Texas Bach Festival’s trademark mix of outstanding artistry, repertoire and performance experience will be on abundant display during the 2018 concerts, featuring Austin’s Artisan String Quartet, the fully professional TBF Choir, Georgetown pianist Toby Blumenthal, Austin pianist Rick Rowley, cellist Douglas Harvey and a bevy of other exceptional instrumental and vocal soloists. The aforementioned April 22 concert will be at 2:30 pm at The Delaney at Georgetown Village, featuring the Artisan Quartet performing works of Haydn and Borodin; next is a June 17 Father’s Day concert at 2:00 pm at the Georgetown Library featuring soprano Meredith Ruduski, bass Gil Zilkha and pianist Rick Rowley performing Art songs of Schumann, Fauré and Debussy; the 12:00 noon June 29 concert in the Courthouse’s historic 26th District Courtroom again features the Artisan Quartet, this time performing Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden” string quartet; the last of four free concerts is a wine &
cheese event at 6:30 pm at Sun City’s Cowan Creek Center, with the Artisan Quartet once again leading the festivities. The Georgetown 2018 festival series opens at St. Helen Catholic Church on July 5 with a chamber music program of J. S. Bach’s Musical Offering Trio Sonata, BWV 1079, Franz Krommer’s Oboe Quartet No. 1 and Johannes Brahms’
Clarinet Quintet in B Minor, Op. 115; July 6 with the TBF Choir performing Bach motets Jesu, meine Freude (BWV 227), and Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (BWV 225), Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer, Op. 52 and Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music; July 7 with the TBF Camerata performing Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, Handel’s Water Music Suite in F Major and Mozart’s soprano concerto Exsultate Jubilate, and culminates on July 8 with a matinee concert of chamber music with Bach, J. S. Bach’s Gamba Sonata No. 2 in D Major (BWV 1028), W. A. Mozart’s Violin Sonata No. 32 in B-Flat Major (KV 454), and Beethoven’s String Quartet in C Major (Op. 59). All the concert times, performer details and ticket information can be found at texasbachfestival.org. For all subscribers of “A Shot of Texas” Magazine, Dr. Williamson emphasizes that key underwriting opportunities (called “Impresarios”) are still available for the Texas Bach Festival’s 2018 season. If you love or an aficionado of chamber, choral, solo vocal or orchestral music, especially of great master composers led by the great Johann Sebastian Bach, visit our website at texasbachfestival.org today to see how you can help bring this timeless music alive in Georgetown. Enjoy the sequel, and see you there!
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