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The Dublin Bach Singers (= DBS), under the baton of Blánaid Murphy, was founded in 2002, bringing together a collection of excellent choristers who share a great love of J.S. Bach. A prolific new chamber choir was born. Their inaugural performance that year, George Frideric Handel’s Messiah in Donnybrook Church, established the choir as an instant success.
DBS began a fruitful relationship with the Orchestra of St Cecilia in 2003, performing in the Orchestra of St Cecilia: Bach Cantata Project. That same year, the groups collaborated on J.S. Bach’s St John Passion (BWV 245) to critical acclaim.
In the next two years, DBS and Orchestra of St Cecilia treated packed houses to Messiah in Donnybrook Church, St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Armagh) and Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral. 2005 brought a new collaboration, as the Carlow Choral Society joined the Singers and Orchestra of St Cecilia for J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) at the Pro-Cathedral to further critical acclaim. That summer, DBS took part in the Gala Choral Concert of the World Harp Symposium, National Concert Hall, Dublin; a stunning performance of J.S. Bach’s demanding Mass in B Minor (BWV 232) in the Pro-Cathedral followed in autumn.
Recent years have included charity performances of the St John Passion (BWV 245) and ongoing participation in the Bach Cantata Series, and performing the W.A. Mozart's Mass in C minor at the National Concert Hall, with Kenneth Montgomery guest conducting. Their Messiah performance each Christmas in the Pro-Cathedral has earned a place of honour in the Dublin musical calendar, and they have performed to a sold-out National Concert Hall in Raymond Gubbay's Carols by Candlelight and White Christmas concerts.
In 2009, the Dublin Bach Singers toured with 'The Priests', singing in venues such as the O2 Dublin, Odyessy Arena Belfast, National Concert Hall Dublin and Theatre Royal Castlebar. They also sung Allegri's Miserere in concert St. Patrick's Cathedral with CRUX Vocal Ensemble. Highlights from their 2009-2010 season included the final concert in the Orchestra of St Cecilia's ten-year Bach Cantata Series, and a performance of J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) with The Palestrina Choir, St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral Girls' Choir and the Orchestra of St Cecilia.
2011 saw the choir performing Haydn's Sieben Letzten Worte with the Orchestra of St Cecilia and in November the choir gave a concert under the direction of Hans-Joachim Rotzsch, former Kantor at the Leipzig Thomaskirche and 15th direct successor to J.S. Bach. In March 2012, the beginning of their 10th anniversary celebrations, they performed J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) with The Palestrina Choir. |
