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If there is a classical star for the year 2000, Johann Sebastian Bach is the man. On the 250th anniversary of his death, Bach is big—both with large audiences and with specialized, respected music ensembles. And while pop may be taking over much of the music inside churches, the great musical monuments to the faith continue to be sung and celebrated in concert halls the world over. In many areas, particularly in Europe and Japan, concerts that feature such works as Brahms' German Requiem and Mendelssohn's Elijah tend to draw fans like a pop rocker's tour of the United States.

Bach festivals and world tours abound. The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra undertook a Bach Pilgrimage earlier this year, performing all of his cantatas on the Sundays of the church year for which they were written. The tour covered 60 churches throughout Europe and will culminate in New York City this month. The English Concert, an ensemble known mostly for its instrumental performances, has traveled the world with its choir this year performing Bach's St. Matthew Passion.

With Scripture and traditional worship services such as the Mass as their texts, the sacred works pack a biblical punch. Still, many in postmodern audiences may know little or nothing of the faith behind them, and the conductor and musicians may not share the faith.

"I think the works are mainly received as music, not so much as sacred music," says Gerd Turk, a professional tenor soloist from Frankfurt, Germany, who teaches at Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. "People are enchanted by the beauty of the music, the beauty of the voices, and the quality of the performances."

Turk performs classical works around the world, including frequent appearances with Bach Collegium Japan, which is in the ambitious process of recording all of Bach's cantatas. The Japanese ensemble has amazed critics with its precision in both recordings and performances, including the Bach Festival 2000 in Bach's hometown of Leipzig, Germany, as well as on its home turf.

"Certainly Japanese people have always been ardent admirers of Western music. But to see 1,000 or more people flock to something so exotic as a concert series of Bach cantatas—which are, by the way, difficult to digest even for Germans—is really amazing," Turk says.

"This is a chance for those who really want to convey the message of the text to the audience," Turk says. "I don't think we can convert people to Christianity by performing sacred music. I even wouldn't want it, but it's good to keep the message of the Bible alive, even among those who have a different religion."

Elizabeth Patterson, music director of Gloriae Dei Cantores, sees that choir's concerts of classical and contemporary sacred works drawing people of all ages. The choir, from the Community of Jesus in Orleans, Massachusetts, has toured in 23 countries and travels the United States with the Boston Pops for its wildly popular annual Christmas tour. Patterson believes classical sacred music offers a welcome respite from the chaos of pop culture.

Patterson observes that both Gregorian chant and Bach appeal to younger generations. "I think they find in it a peace and freedom from the aggression present in the music of rock, while not necessarily believing what they hear in the text," Patterson says. "They experience the spiritual depth that is present and that touches their sense of isolation."

Patterson's concern for the audience is evident: "We sing because we wish to be a help and a blessing, to see a lot of the music that is being lost saved, and to bring a gift to people—for that span of time, to give them hope."

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December 4 2000, Vol. 44, No. 14