From our beginnings in 1990 up to the present 2007-2008 concert year, the Berkshire Bach Singers have been a unique, ever-changing, integral part of the Berkshire Bach Society. The first conductor of the Singers was Jed Watson who led the group through its first two seasons. Penna Rose became the next conductor wielding her own special charisma and conducting style until demands of her position as Director of Chapel Music at Princeton University forced her to give up leadership of the Bach Singers. A series of guest conductors followed, culminating in the recent appointment of James Bagwell as our resident conductor. We are honored and inspired by his leadership.

The Bach Singers are your neighbors, your children’s teachers, dentists, ministers, artists, gardeners, sales people, farmers, writers, shop owners, and professional musicians. We do what we do because we love choral singing. We are not the “stars of the show,” but we carry within us what one writer calls “the invisible instrument” manifested through our combined voices.

“Choral singing is a peculiar and fascinating life. There is never enough time. It is harder than you ever imagined. You are never as good as you want to be. Always, always you are asked to give more – more concentration, more purity of sound, better line, finer adagio, more precise pronunciation….you will ask it of yourself also. And you will ask what you are doing here after a hard day’s work at your day job, when you don’t feel that well and your spouse is mad at you, and your kids say you never get anything right, and there isn’t enough money to pay all the bills. Then suddenly it flows – a bar, a phrase, perhaps even a whole movement – and you are the physical instrument of something higher.” These lines by author Joan Oliver Goldsmith from her book How Can We Keep From Singing express so clearly what we do every Thursday night as we gather for another rehearsal with the Bach Singers, our friends, and with James, our beloved conductor.

BB Singers trying out the new Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood, May 1994

Many of the singers have been with the Society since its inauguration, and others have joined in succeeding years. To keep the group alive and healthy, new singers are always welcome and invited to audition. To find out more about auditioning for the Berkshire Bach Singers, please email info@berkshirebach.org or call 413-528-9277.