Touchstone Theatre partners with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem to bring Festival UnBound a one-time only event highlighting the vocal talent of the valley and guest artists.  The program will begin with a showcase piece performed by the Bach Choir followed by four select choral groups from throughout the valley that will be teamed with unlikely collaborators to create, reimagine and perform never before heard arrangements and original compositions.  Also featured during the event will be a group sing lead by internationally recognized Sweet Honey in the Rock vocalist and Steelbound alumni Ysaye Barnwell!

This is a project close to my heart. My pre-theatre roots are deep in music, and to be able to work on a project that brings such amazing musical talent together to collaborate and reimagine what choral music can be is probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to work on. What happens when we allow music to do what it’s best at and bring people together? Imagine, if you will, gospel choirs dueting with marching bands, or barbershop quartets dueting with a bagpipe corps. This is the kind of stuff I’m looking for as I work through the curation of this event.

Besides the Bach Choir, we’ve confirmed involvement from Nazareth High School Choir, Camille Armstrong, the Shiloh Baptist Church Choir, Big Easy Easton Brass, the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, Bel Canto Youth Chorus, and of course, our house band Jakopa’s Punch.

A Joyful Noise performs one time only as part of Festival UnBound on October 6 at Zoellner Arts Center. Stay tuned for more details!

– Jp Jordan