Aurora University to Host 'Bach Babes' Feb. 5

The Bach Babes chamber music ensemble will perform at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5, in Perry Theatre at the Aurora Foundation Center for Community Enrichment, 1305 Kenilworth Place in Aurora. Admission is free to the public. Reservations are requested. Call (630)844-5486 or e-mail artsandideas@aurora.edu

AURORA, Ill.—Aurora University will host The Bach Babes, a sassy chamber music ensemble, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, in Perry Theatre at the Aurora Foundation Center for Community Enrichment, 1305 Kenilworth Place in Aurora.

The program is free to the public. The concert is part of AU’s 2007-2008 Celebrating Arts and Ideas series.

Arts and Ideas Series sponsors are: MetLife and Nicor, Gold sponsors; Harris Aurora and Human Resource Management Systems, LLC, Silver sponsors; City of Aurora and Sikich, Bronze sponsors. Media support is provided by The Beacon News and Comcast.

Based in Milwaukee, The Bach Babes is a nine-member ensemble--two violins, viola, flute, oboe, cello, double bass, harpsichord and voice--dedicated to sharing the joy, warmth, and excitement of Baroque music in an informal setting.  

The critically acclaimed ensemble, which plays Baroque-era (1600-1775) music on modern instruments,  is committed to excellence in performance and creating educational opportunities that make Baroque composers, social issues, and musical forms relevant to audiences of all ages.

The Bach Babes’ goal is to perform great classical music of the Baroque era in an informal atmosphere that allows audience participation, artistic freedom and spontaneity. 

The ensemble believes in "historically informed performances."  They utilize practices such as articulation, phrasing and orchestration that are unique to the Baroque era.

Educational commentary that highlights the social issues during the Baroque era and the human qualities of the composer and music, with a twist of ironic satire, is usual fare at their concerts.

Harpsichordist and organist Martha Stiehl founded the group more than a decade ago, along with talented musicians from the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. In 1996, this goal became a reality to the delight of audiences across the state of Wisconsin.

Performing Baroque music with joy, warmth and excitement, The Bach Babes has been the premier Baroque ensemble of Wisconsin for 10 years.

The Baroque era was special in that there was no conductor. Much of the music was meant to showcase an instrumentalist's prowess, and it had a great deal of political sarcasm, as well as humor.

Today, Bach Babes engages audiences of all ages in sharing this joy, warmth and excitement of Baroque music.

Reservations are requested. Call (630) 844-5486 or e-mail artsandideas@aurora.edu for reservations or information.

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