Composer Arnold Bax once compared Bach’s last movements to “the running of a sewing machine.” If that be the case, surely they constitute the most epic runnings of sewing machines one can expect to hear in their lifetime, as evidenced by the Washington Bach Consort’s recent performance of Bach’s Mass in B Minor. But in fact, led by artistic director Dr. Dana T. Marsh, the ensemble gave the audience an epic sound from the very beginning, not just in the final movement.
Epic, and also clean. The peril of the “Kyrie” is its first consonant, which when done wrong can sound like a guttural threat. Not the case here, as the voices and harmonies came together in this unusual yet still worshipful mass setting. It is unusual in that one would not expect to hear it at a Catholic mass, since everything up through the “Gloria” alone has a runtime of an hour or more, thus requiring an intermission before the “Credo.” And it is worshipful in the details that Bach put into it, including surprises like the major chord he put at the end of the “Kyrie.” This was followed by a beautiful duet by sopranos Amy Broadbent and Chelsea Helm, whose voices meshed well together. Broadbent in particular came across as the star of the show of this Mass overall, which is appropriate for someone leading the Soprano I section as well as singing the solos. She had her work cut out for her, and she did it with grace and poise.
Besides executing an epic sound, one also has to appreciate how this choir executed clean coloratura together. Their ability to listen to each other is a testament to their musicianship. On top of that, Marsh is an excellent conductor who clearly trusts the musicians’ professionalism. This was especially clear in the good balance between choir and orchestra, for which the conductor is ultimately responsible. It was almost indistinguishable where the voices ended and the orchestra began.
Chelsea Helm got to duet with concertmaster Andrew Fouts on “Laudamus te,” where she demonstrated excellent intonation with an appropriately graceful approach to trills, coloratura, and ornamentation in general. This was a delightful, special moment between singer and violin.
On the eighth movement “Domine Deus,” I had trouble hearing Broadbent and tenor James Reese as they duetted at first, but not toward the end. As with Broadbent and Helm, Broadbent and Reese’s voices were a good match, neither overpowering the other. Particularly impressive here, and extremely satisfying, was the smooth transition into the next choral part, “Qui tollis peccata mundi.”
The tenth movement “Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris,” was sung by alto soloist Kristen Dubenion-Smith. Her clarity of tone was beautiful, and I wanted more. There was some trouble hearing her in the lowest register, possibly due at least in part to the acoustics of the space. However, the elegance of Bach’s style at this moment necessitates singing equally elegantly and politely, which she did.
Next for a solo was bass Jonathan Woody on “Quoniam tu solus sanctus.” I got a sense of drama from him right away, which could maybe have been channeled into a more worshipful approach to match the overall intention of the piece, but an impressive performance nonetheless, and doubly so in his second aria later in the program, “Et in Spiritum Sanctum.” There was something better there about how the florid passages sounded, easily executed and very musical. There, too, I couldn’t help but think that his instrument was a bass with a more baritone quality, because he had high range for days.
To finish the first part of the Mass, Bach fills the twelfth movement, “Cum Sancto Spiritu,” with wonderful energy. One can’t help but jam, smile, and laugh by the end of it heading into intermission.
The second part of Bach’s Mass is the Nicene Creed. To begin with, I loved the play between Broadbent and Dubenion-Smith in “Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum.” Listening in this portion also brought to mind how much I was enjoying the counterpoint among the voices throughout the composition, a particular case in point being “Et incarnatus est.” The ensemble also had great play with dynamics that really gave credence to the Baroque idea of affections and how they influence the listener. For example, the end of the “Crucifixus” brings us to an appropriately sad and somber place, Jesus’s Crucifixion, but Marsh and the ensemble lifted us up again with a deft transition into the bombastic “Et resurrexit.”
In the “Sanctus,” the Consort showed off a very strong tenor section, with the altos unfortunately getting buried. For the sopranos, there was no danger of their part going unheard due to its height.
It was at this point that I started thinking how much I love Bach’s music, but this is a very long composition and sometimes so much is going on that one can miss the forest for the trees. Fortunately, Reese was there to bring me back to the big picture with his “Benedictus.” This showed off his voice from top to bottom as he navigated Bach’s treacherous high notes. Here, too, I noticed a small taste of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” in the flute part, which made the piece all the more endearing. For me, this solo was ultimately the highlight of the program.
This Mass does not end with an “Amen” as you might expect, but rather the “Dona nobis pacem.” Give us peace, indeed, and Bach does, with a satisfying ending of strong choral singing that attains the divine, as it should. In fact, as I listened I thought: so many concerts are programmed at National Presbyterian. What would it be like to hear this Mass in a Catholic church in a practical sense, following the actual Mass? Would the acoustics be even better? Would the soloists find it easier to project? Possibly, but for now I can only say that the Washington Bach Consort exceeds expectations when it comes to sound quality and ensemble cohesiveness, so go read about their next season and plan to attend one or more concerts. They are not an ensemble to be missed.
Maggie Ramsey
Mass in B Minor BWV 232.4
Composed by J.S. Bach
Amy Broadbent (soloist), Elissa Edwards, Katelyn Grace Jackson, Sara MacKimmie, Elijah McCormack – Soprano I; Chelsea Helm (soloist), Rhianna Cockrell, Crossley Hawn, Margot Rood, Laura Choi Stuart – Soprano II; Kristen Dubenion-Smith (soloist), Hannah Baslee, Janna Critz, Barbara Hollinshead, Sylvia Leith – Alto; James Reese (soloist), Blake Beckemeyer, Andrew Bearden Brown, Matthew Hill, Andrew Sauvgeau – Tenor; Jonathan Woody (soloist), Joshua Brown, Edmund Milly, Ross Tamaccio, Jason Widney – Bass
Dr. Dana T. Marsh – Conductor; Andrew Fouts (Concertmaster), Marika Holmqvist, Gail Hernández Rosa, Caitlin Cribbs – Violin I; Tatiana Chulochnikova, Gersh Chervinsky, Leslie Nero, Jimena Burga Lopera – Violin II; Risa Browder, Isaiah Chapman, Asa Zimmerman – Viola; John Moran, Wade Davis – Violoncello; Jessica Powell Eig – Violone; Adam Pearl – Organ; Colin St-Martin, Kathryn Roth – Flute; Margaret Owens, Fatma Daglar – Oboe; Anna Marsh (oboe), C. Keith Collins – Bassoon; Brad Tatum – Horn; Josh Cohen, Dillon Parker, Douglas Wilson – Trumpet; Michelle Humphreys – Timpani; Wei-Han Wu (Rehearsal Pianist)
National Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C., April 25, 2026
Top image: Soprano Amy Broadbent and Tenor James Reese
All photos by Mauricio Castro