The Third Bethlehem Conference on Moravian Music will
be held this year at Moravian College and Lehigh University, October
22-25. This conference celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Single
Brethren’s House and the 100th anniversary of the founding of
the Bach Choir of Bethlehem.
October 22, Thursday afternoon: Moravian and American
Music Life, 1748-1900 (papers).
October 22, 7:00 p.m., Lecture and recital of American
piano music of the Civil War era.
October 22, 8:00 p.m., Concert of Moravian music, featuring
the College Choir, Wind Ensemble, and student soloists.
October 23, Friday morning, panel discussion "Doing
Moravian Music Research," musical training in Colonial American
Moravian Schools (papers).
October 23, Friday afternoon, Women in Music in America
(papers).
October 23, 7:30 p.m., pre-concert lecture on the Samuel
Green organ, on loan to the College from the Metropolitan Museum of
Art’s Musical Instrument Collection (purchased by Margaret M.
Hess as a gift in memory of her father, John D. McCarty, 1993)
October 23, 8:00 p.m., lecture and recital of solo and
duet piano literature performed at the Young Ladies’ Seminary
in the 19th century.
October 24, Saturday morning, rehearsal of music for
evening concert.
October 24, Saturday afternoon (at Lehigh), "Bach
in America, J. Fred. Wolle and the Bach Choir" (papers).
October 24, 8:00 p.m., concert featuring the Bach Choir
of Bethlehem festival orchestra, Moravian College Choir, and conference
attendees.
Sunday morning, service at Central Moravian Church.
Paul Larson, professor emeritus, and Carol Traupman-Carr,
assistant professor of music, serve as co-chairs for the conference.
The conference is co-sponsored by the Moravian College Music Department;
Moravian Theological Seminary; Center for Moravian Studies, Lehigh University;
Bach Choir of Bethlehem; Moravian Music Foundation; Moravian Museum
of Bethlehem; Moravian Archives; Moravian College Music Alliance; and
Central Moravian Church. A grant from the Pharo Foundation was used
to prepare music for the Thursday evening performance.
For a complete list of papers, presentations, and concerts,
contact the Music Department at (610) 861-1650.
The Bethlehem Conferences on Moravian Music are held biennially
in late October. The next conference is planned for the year 2000, and
will celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of Count Nicolas von
Zinzendorf and the 200th anniversary of the invention of the piano.
