The Saugeen Bach Chorale is a heart-stirring community choir that weaves together the rigour of classical masterpieces with the rustic, authentic charm of rural Ontario. Known for their evocative performances at Glencoloton Farms, the group performs a one-hour version of Handel's Messiah with the milking cows there each year at The Christkindl Market. As well, they have presented choral classics like Haydn's, The Creation, Mozart's Requiem and many works by Bach both locally and internationally. Under the steady direction of Michael Schmidt, the chorale strives for democratic artistic excellence, spiritual enrichment, as well as mentorship and education. This is their first foray into the magical world of Bach's St. John Passion. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

The Saugeen Bach Chorale is intentionally homegrown, based on a philosophy of the endless bounty of organic life. We start with ourselves in appreciation of the harmony available in showing up together to sing and strive to create moments of sublime and beautiful sound to be heard across Grey and Bruce Counties.

We further celebrate this beauty as we find it, for example, in the flowing crystalline waves of sound brought into form by J.S.Bach and other composers. We grow ourselves as we aspire to enter a discipline of creating music that can reveal goodness and truth to all who hear our effort.

To complete our efforts we are joined by professional soloists and orchestra.

We share our vision, our sound, and our love for choral music with the world and each time we do this, life expands into the heavenly realms.

Christopher Burton holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Accompanying and Chamber Music from the Eastman School of Music. He is equally at home in vocal, operatic and instrumental repertoire. Dr. Burton appears regularly on the recital stage and also is in great demand as a teacher and coach. He has served as musical director for Opera Lirica Italiana, and conducted performances of Le Nozze di Figaro for Brampton Lyric Opera/Opera Kitchener. Dr. Burton always welcomes new enquiries from dedicated singers and instrumentalists at any level, beginner to professional.

Chris Burton is an outstanding accompanist. His dedication enables the Saugeen Bach Chorale to rise to their occasion.

Michael became a “farm-conductor” under the mentorship of Helmuth Rilling, in Germany and John Washburn with the Vancouver Chamber Choir in Canada.

.One year after his arrival from Germany in 1983 he founded and conducted the Saugeen Bach Choir for many years, including on a concert tour to Germany and Austria in 1988.

He pioneered relentlessly new ways of music making in an effort to bridge the gap between urban and rural society but especially between the native and settler cultures.

Symphony in the Barn was his brain child and has presented an astonishing diversity of musical talent in a variety of musical forms, be it, Symphony, Chamber Music, Opera, Operetta, Oratorios, Concerti, Jazz and experimental Soundscapes, He has provided many opportunities for national and international artists to perform on the farm stage. One of the first productions, he re-imagined, was Haydn’s Creation, featuring the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and Drummers from Saugeen First Nation.

Being part of and helping to develop communities of diverse nature is part of his vision and his never ending hope, while recognizing the importance of true commitment in order to build a future for our next generations to come.