Guide to the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh Records, 1934-2008
Arrangement
Repository
Heinz History Center
Title
Bach Choir of Pittsburgh Records
Creator
Bach Choir of Pittsburgh
Collection Number
MSS 484
Extent
2 linear feet(2 boxes)
Date
1934-2008
Abstract
The Bach Choir of Pittsburgh was founded in 1934 by Dr. J. Julius Baird. Its purpose was to provide a musical and educational organization for performing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries. This collection includes administrative files, correspondence, financial records, membership information, and concert programs.
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
Author
The guide to this collection was written by Nathaniel Poole.
The Bach Choir of Pittsburgh was founded in 1934 by Dr. J. Julius Baird. Its purpose was to provide a musical and educational organization for performing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries. After 1940, the Bach Choir began to grow and extended its scope to include other notable composers such as Haydn and Handel, as well as works by living composers. Conductors of the choir have been Donald Wilkins (1954-1956), Paul Koch (1956-1958), James Evans (1960-1964), Stanley Tagg (1964-l973), W. William Wagner (1973-1981), Max Peterson (1981-1993), Brady Allred (1993-2003), and Thomas Douglas (2003-2008).
Membership requirements include successfully auditions and attendance at eighty-five percent of the weekly Tuesday night rehearsals. Throughout its history, membership in the Bach Choir has fluctuated from sixty to one-hundred thirty, with members coming from a variety of backgrounds. Financially, the Bach Choir has been supported though members' dues, ticket sales, grants, and donations.
The Bach Choir has enjoyed the distinction of giving several first performances of musical works in Pittsburgh, including Bach's "The Christmas Oratorio" and "Phoebus and Pan," Randall Thompson's "America," and Roy Harris' "Symphony for Voices." Performances have been given in a variety of churches and concert venues, including the Carnegie Music Hall, the Church of the Ascension, Trinity Lutheran Church, Calvary Episcopal Church, Fulton Theater, and many others. Additional information on the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh can be found at their website at http://www.bachchoirpittsburgh.org/.
Scope and Content Notes
The Bach Choir of Pittsburgh Records are housed in two archival boxes and arranged into seven series: Administrative Records, Correspondence, Financial Records, Members, Programs, Publicity, and Radio/Television.
Series I: Administrative Records (1934-1984) includes by-laws, a constitution, correspondence, grant materials, and minutes. The folders of correspondence contain information on decisions reached in the board of directors meetings. The grant materials include grant applications, notes, and statements. The minutes document decisions made in these meetings, from 1934 until 1984.
Series II: Correspondence (1935-2007) is divided into two subsections: External and Internal Correspondence. External Correspondence includes letters requesting donations, use of concert venues, thank-you notes, and invitations. Internal Correspondence mostly consists of letters to Bach Choir members confirming specific singing assignments.
Series III: Financial Records (1946-2008) includes account books, balance sheets, budget reports, checking account summaries, financial correspondence, receipts, tax forms, and ticket purchases. Financial reports and treasurer's reports are similar in nature and are arranged separately under the original titles assigned by the records creators. The folder titled "Permanent Records/Loan Notes" is a spiral booklet of receipts, as well as a collection of loan notes.
Series IV: Members (1934-1992) includes applications, backgrounds, biographies, concert reports, contracts, roll books, and roster listings. The applications consist of both those accepted and rejected by the Bach Choir. Background information includes some facts about the history of the Bach Choir. The biographies contain a small amount of information on several conductors and soloists for the Choir. The W. William Wagner folder contains biographical information and published reviews of this popular Bach Choir conductor. The Choral Workshops folder includes a letter sent to members, notifying them of an opportunity to engage in choral study with an acclaimed conductor outside of the organization. The concert reports indicate what pieces of music were chosen for concerts and the reasons for their selection. Contracts include information for use of facilities or concert venues, use of instruments such as pianos and organs, and solo arrangements with outside artists.
Series V: Concert Programs (1950-2005) includes concert programs from Bach Choir performances. The bulk of the programs are from spring and holiday concerts from 1975 until 1983.
Series VI: Publicity (1934-2006) includes advertising information, fliers, newspaper clippings, press releases, and request forms. Advertising information includes receipts and copies of concert advertisements put together by the Bach Choir. The fliers contain information about concerts and performances. The newspaper clippings, primarily from the Pittsburgh Press, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and The Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, consist of concert announcements and reviews.
Series VII: Radio/Television (1979-1981) contains contact information on the various radio/television stations, information regarding volunteer information and duties performed by the Bach Choir for WQED and WSHH/WKTQ.
Series VIII: Topical (1920-2003) includes biographical information on J.S. Bach, background on the Calvary Episcopal Church, choir and organ music, musical scores, narratives, information on other performing groups, a script from the H.M.S. Pinafore, and song-sheets. The choir and organ music, compiled by Joseph W. Clokey, lists choir and organ pieces for smaller choirs. The musical scores are grouped into three folders, two of which contain music commissioned for the Bach Choir: William Averitt's Lacrymae, Glen L. Rudolph's I Came From the Light (The Angel's Message). The third folder contains a collection of other various titles. The narratives are handwritten scripts or notations, probably by a conductor, that appear to haven been prepared as transitional comments between musical pieces to be delivered during a performance. The folder titled Other Performing Groups includes various programs and notes from organizations other than the Bach Choir. This material is limited in scope. The song-sheets include various song lyrics with out music notations. Of special note is a piece of correspondence dated 1920 from the local German newspaper publisher that contains several pages of song sheets.
Conditions Governing Access
None.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Ruth S. Reid in 1977. Acc. 1977.209.
Gift of the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh in 2008. Acc.2008.0027.
Preferred Citation
Bach Choir of Pittsburgh Records, 1934-2008, MSS 484, , Library and Archives Division, Senator John Heinz History Center
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Nathaniel Poole in June 2008.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.
Related Materials
A large collection of concert programs is located at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main Branch in Oakland.
Separated Materials
Bach Choir of Pittsburgh Photographs, MSQ 484. This collection consists of 7 folders and includes photographs of the Bach Choir conductors Brady Allred and W. William Wagner, rehearsals, and performances.
Bach Choir of Pittsburgh Sound Recordings, MSC 484. This collection is housed in one box (1 linear ft.) and contains approximately 100 recordings (on compact disc and audio cassette) of the Bach Choir.
