Dates

• Existence: Established 1950

Biography

The Sheffield Bach Society was founded in 1950, the bicentenary year of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach. From January to March of that year a course of Extension lectures was given by members of staff of the University of Sheffield's Department of Music, including Professor Stewart Deas, Emeritus Professor F.H. Shera and a lecturer, Roger F.T. Bullivant (awarded a doctorate by Oxford University in 1960 and an honorary D.Mus. by the University of Sheffield in 1999), together with invited speakers of note from outside the University. Following the success of the lectures Professor Deas called a meeting, on the 1st May 1950, at which the Sheffield Bach Society was founded, with the Bishop of Sheffield being chosen as Chairman. The founder, Professor Deas, was to be the Hon. Director, Mr Norman Barnes, music master at King Edward VII School, was to form and conduct a choir, and the Hon. Secretary and Treasurer would be Mrs Eileen M. Denman, a member of the University Registrar's staff.

The purpose of the new Society was, as a news report at the time put it, "to commemorate the great J.S. Bach's bicentenary [and] to foster interest in his music", although this definition would be in later years extended formally to the wider objective of educating the public in music and fostering interest in such other composers "as deemed appropriate".

For the first of what would be a great many public programmes the Society invited the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra to give a concert at the Victoria Hall on 28th November 1950. The Sheffield Bach Choir made its first concert appearance in the following February, together with an ad hoc orchestra formed for the occasion: Dr Bullivant would eventually form the Society's own orchestra of professional musicians, the Sheffield Bach Players, in 1964. Thus began, with Stewart Deas, Norman Barnes and Roger Bullivant taking leading parts as conductors and soloists, what would evolve into a highly successful and long-standing contribution to the musical life of Sheffield. Though closely associated with the University at the start, the Society sought from the outset to include anyone with appropriate musical ability in its Choir, and from its beginning has continued to perform its concerts at various venues in the Sheffield area, notably Sheffield Cathedral, the City Hall, the Victoria Hall, the University's own Mappin Hall and Firth Hall, St. John's Church, Ranmoor and St. Mark´s Church, Broomhill.

The Society is now a completely independent Registered Charity (No. 511146), although many of its members continue to come from the world of academia and its links to the University of Sheffield are still strong.

[Notes compiled from the Records of the Society]

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