Corpus Christi Parish

https://www.bachproject.org/

I am a humble parishioner of a small Catholic parish in Conneaut, Ohio. My friends will testify that I’ve never been an overtly devout man, but in my heart, I’ve always held my Christian beliefs with reverence. I am also a professional musician and a retired music professor. My musical expertise encompasses everything from the contrabass to Baroque performance practice to advanced computer music technology. I love the sacred music of Bach in particular. The Holy Spirit inspired me to combine my faith and passions in life to do something special for the Church. This inner spiritual drive evolved into the Bach Project.

At the intersection of sacred music and devotion lies faith. The Bach Project aims to bring this simple calculation to our community and beyond. Bach's Missa Brevis, Mass in g-Moll, BWV 235, is at the heart of this project in concert, along with the accompanying community outreach and video.

The Concerts

The Focus on the Mass featuring Bach’s Mass in g-Minor comes in two phases. The first phase involves the presentation of two professional Church performances of Bach's Mass. These performances will parallel the time-honored devotional tradition practiced in many European Churches through the experience of sacred music. My dear colleagues from the National Opera of Colombia and the Blossom Festival Orchestra will perform the music. The performances offer the faithful of our geographic area an opportunity to witness this breathtaking masterpiece while enhancing their faith experience. It also provides them with a window into the tremendous artistic and cultural phenomena that is Bach’s music.

The Video

The second phase of Focus on the Mass is a professionally produced video documentary of the concerts, complete with scholarly clerical insights into the rite of the Mass. It is worth noting that several excellent videos of this music are readily available; however, none of those videos details the Mass, its parts, and its significance to the Church. It’s important to point out that the video is not limited to Catholics. It is intended for all Christians who wish to be elevated by the splendid sacred music of Bach. In that sense, the video is a means to educate and evangelize a broader audience of whoever praises the Risen Christ.

The Outreach

How often do high school music students interact with internationally known vocal artists? How often can they hear a live performance of Bach's sublime sacred music?

The vocal artists have agreed to perform a master class for music students from our area's high schools. We are also negotiating ways to bus as many students as possible to the concerts with local school officials. The outcome we hope to gain from student involvement is threefold: to enhance the music education offered in our region, to expose a wide variety of youth to sacred music they may otherwise not have the opportunity to experience and to provide them with an example of potentially life-changing faith-based culture.

Likewise, this rare opportunity to behold Bach’s music in a devotional setting will uplift and inspire our adult population. But inspiring our current congregation is only part of what we intend to accomplish. Fifty-two percent of people raised in the Catholic faith have left the Church in the United States in recent times. Unfortunately, the same trend holds for most Christian denominations. We intend to stem that trend within our community by offering all Christians a unique, compelling, and thought-provoking opportunity to re-engage in their faith.

Bach and other composers of sacred music have much to teach us about our faith. We seek partnerships with individuals who share our interest in bringing these insights to a broadly inclusive Christian community. Producing meaningful content takes ample funding. The funds include stipends for the artists, travel, lodging, and audio and video support. That’s why we count on your donations, whether large or small. We are confident that artistic beauty and its importance to our world and faith will move the hearts of many. In pursuit of this goal, we look forward to ongoing relationships with those who subscribe to this mindset and are willing to assist in support of this evangelical effort.