1950 saw the bicentenary year of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach, and 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".

Particular mention should be made of two of the founding members: Roger Bullivant, lecturer in music and keyboard player, who was the Choir´s first rehearsal accompanist until he became Conductor of the Choir in 1962, only relinquishing the post in 2000; and Eileen Denman, Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, who also acted as Chairman from 1979 until 1988 and, latterly as Choir Secretary and then Archivist until her retirement in 1999. These two were to serve as officers of the Society for half a century, with Dr Bullivant as its best know public face. It is to Mrs Denman that the present good order of the Society's records is due.

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.

Early programmes suggested the scale of the Society's ambitions, with performances of major pieces by J.S. Bach, the Mass in B Minor, the St. John Passion and the St. Matthew Passion; these would become standard works, and in addition there has been presented year by year a succession of varied programmes of recitals and smaller works, including concertos, motets and cantatas. Apart from the public concerts there have been private events: members´ meetings, receptions, talks, visits to musical events elsewhere and Society dinners. Concerts by invited orchestras have taken place, such as the performance by the London Harpsichord Ensemble in October 1954.

Programmes have never in fact been restricted to the principal interest, the music of J.S. Bach; for example in March 1959 the Society performed, in conjunction with the Sheffield Chamber Orchestra, Handel's Israel in Egypt, in 1961 Handel's Messiah (to become a regular annual feature), in 1963 Handel's Judas Maccabaeus, in 1968 Haydn's Creation and in 1970 Mendelssohn's Elijah. Amongst the many composers whose works have found a place in the Society's programmes are Brahms, Mozart. Dvorak, Schubert, Monteverdi, Stravinsky, Bruckner, Vivaldi, Elgar, Britten, Vaughan Williams and Tippett. A particular feature of the Society's work has been the performance of less familiar contemporary works, early examples being John Joubert's The Martyrdom of St. Alban and Anthony Hedges' Epithalamion.

In 1972 the Society commissioned, with Arts Council funds, and performed Christopher Steel's Jerusalem, and in June 1986 performed Geoffrey Burgon's Revelations, commissioned for the Jubilee of the National Federation of Music Societies, to which it is affiliated. This consistent support of contemporary music was recognised in 1977 by an award of £500 by the Performing Right Society, followed in July 1985 by a further award by the same Society, this time of £1000, to one of those choral societies "showing enterprise in the performance of contemporary music".

In 1985 the Sheffield Bach Society organised a six-week Bach Festival in Sheffield in honour of the 300th anniversary of the births of both J.S. Bach and Handel, during which the Stadtkantorei Bochum, from Sheffield's twin city in West Germany, performed the B Minor Mass. In May 1987 the visit was reciprocated when the Sheffield Bach Choir and Players performed in Bochum. Another consistent feature of the Society's work has been the support through charity concerts given to local good causes.

In the United Kingdom the Sheffield Bach Choir has travelled well beyond its city of origin, for example taking part in May 1971 in the Sixth Churchill Memorial Concert at Blenheim Palace in aid of the Music Therapy Charity, in June 1972 performing in York Minster and in 1981 at the Leeds Music Festival.

With the high costs of mounting Choral performances, over the years additional financial support has proved necessary. During the 1970s South Yorkshire County Council recognised the contribution being made by the Society to the cultural life of South Yorkshire, and provided funding for performances in numerous venues throughout the county. Arts Council funding has been received through the Yorkshire Arts Association, via the National Federation of Music Societies (now known as "Making Music") and Sheffield City Council, whilst other income has been provided both by individual sponsors and by the Friends and Patrons of the Society, in addition, of course, to the subscription by all choir members and constant fund-raising efforts. The Society celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in 2010.

During their long connection with the Society both Roger Bullivant and Eileen Denman have been awarded MBEs in recognition of their services to music, the former in 1984 and the latter in 1999. Following the death of Eileen Denman in December 2001 a Service of Thanksgiving for her life was held in February of the following year at Sheffield Cathedral, where the Society's concerts have so often taken place and continue to do so. Roger Bullivant died in 2004, and a Service of Thanksgiving for his life was held at Sheffield Cathedral.