Edmund Milly makes his Colorado Bach Ensemble debut in BWV 4, Christ lag in Todesbanden

Widely regarded as Bach’s earliest known chorale cantata, BWV 4 was composed for Easter Sunday 1707 shortly after his 22nd birthday. Even at this formative age, it incorporates stylistic elements that would endure for Bach’s entire compositional career. 

After a sinfonia, the work is laid out as a palindrome‚ a theme present in his final choral work, the B Minor Mass. The text is an exploration of the relationship between life and death, and Christ’s sacrifice and the Paschal feast. Each movement ends with an exuberant “Hallelujah!”, emphasizing the timeless continuity and unity of Old and New Testament symbolism in the narrative.

Edmund returns as the bass soloist in the Baltimore Basilica’s annual Messiah

Join us at the breathtaking Baltimore Basilica, America’s First Cathedral, for a favorite Baltimore tradition - two glorious performances of Handel’s Messiah on Friday, December 11th and Saturday, December 12th, 2026 with Maestro Edward Polochick and the Baltimore Basilica Festival Orchestra and Choir!

From the heart-stirring opening strains to the exultant “Hallelujah” chorus, experience the complete masterpiece performed in one of the nation’s most inspiring and historic sacred spaces. With soaring choruses, brilliant orchestral writing, and world-class soloists, Messiah remains a timeless proclamation of hope, joy, and redemption.

Edmund returns as the bass soloist in the Baltimore Basilica’s annual Messiah

Join us at the breathtaking Baltimore Basilica, America’s First Cathedral, for a favorite Baltimore tradition - two glorious performances of Handel’s Messiah on Friday, December 11th and Saturday, December 12th, 2026 with Maestro Edward Polochick and the Baltimore Basilica Festival Orchestra and Choir!

From the heart-stirring opening strains to the exultant “Hallelujah” chorus, experience the complete masterpiece performed in one of the nation’s most inspiring and historic sacred spaces. With soaring choruses, brilliant orchestral writing, and world-class soloists, Messiah remains a timeless proclamation of hope, joy, and redemption.

Rejoice! Handel’s magnificent Messiah returns this holiday season with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and four outstanding soloists conducted by Anthony Blake Clark. Come together and celebrate the magic of this time-honored tradition, from the powerful “Hallelujah” chorus to moments of quiet reflection and uplifting arias. Join NatPhil for the profound shared experience of one of the most beloved works ever written.

Sarah Hayashi, soprano

Lucia Bradford, mezzo-soprano

Allan Palacios Chan, tenor

Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

Rejoice! Handel’s magnificent Messiah returns this holiday season with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and four outstanding soloists conducted by Anthony Blake Clark. Come together and celebrate the magic of this time-honored tradition, from the powerful “Hallelujah” chorus to moments of quiet reflection and uplifting arias. Join NatPhil for the profound shared experience of one of the most beloved works ever written.

Sarah Hayashi, soprano

Lucia Bradford, mezzo-soprano

Allan Palacios Chan, tenor

Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

HANDEL Organ Concerto in F Major

VIVALDI Four Seasons, “Winter ”

SPRENKLE “Go Down Death”

BACH Concerto for Oboe and Violin in C Minor

Featured Soloists:

Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

Amy Cassiere, oboe

Dr. Lynn Trapp, organ

Michael Vaughn, violin

This concert is dedicated to Dr. Elam Ray Sprenkle., beloved Peabody professor, composer, and Bach in Baltimore Board member.

Experience the operatic drama and shadowy mystery of Bach’s biblical masterpiece — a searing saga of betrayal, forgiveness and resurrection.

Fabio Luisi Conducts  
John Matthew Myers Evangelist
Hanno Müller-Brachmann Jesus/Christus
Deanna Breiwick Soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano Mezzo-Soprano
Brian Giebler Tenor
Edmund Milly Bass
Dallas Symphony Chorus – Anthony Blake Clark Chorus Director 

BACH St. John Passion (DSO Premiere)

Since the first performance of St. John Passion on Good Friday in 1724, Bach’s monumental work has moved audiences of all faiths with its searing account of Christ’s final days. Through music of raw, elemental power and cinematic clarity, we encounter the full range of human emotion as we bear witness to an unfolding saga of betrayal, forgiveness and resurrection. 

Music Director Fabio Luisi leads the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in an intimate performance that amplifies the operatic drama and shadowy mystery of Bach’s biblical masterpiece. Moving between heartbreaking arias, mesmerizing orchestral interludes and life-affirming chorales, St. John Passion stands as an enduring example of music’s ability to transform sorrow and despair into all-encompassing love. 

Experience the operatic drama and shadowy mystery of Bach’s biblical masterpiece — a searing saga of betrayal, forgiveness and resurrection.

Fabio Luisi Conducts  
John Matthew Myers Evangelist
Hanno Müller-Brachmann Jesus/Christus
Deanna Breiwick Soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano Mezzo-Soprano
Brian Giebler Tenor
Edmund Milly Bass
Dallas Symphony Chorus – Anthony Blake Clark Chorus Director 

BACH St. John Passion (DSO Premiere)

Since the first performance of St. John Passion on Good Friday in 1724, Bach’s monumental work has moved audiences of all faiths with its searing account of Christ’s final days. Through music of raw, elemental power and cinematic clarity, we encounter the full range of human emotion as we bear witness to an unfolding saga of betrayal, forgiveness and resurrection. 

Music Director Fabio Luisi leads the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in an intimate performance that amplifies the operatic drama and shadowy mystery of Bach’s biblical masterpiece. Moving between heartbreaking arias, mesmerizing orchestral interludes and life-affirming chorales, St. John Passion stands as an enduring example of music’s ability to transform sorrow and despair into all-encompassing love. 

LSO’s centennial celebration wouldn’t be complete without a performance of Beethoven’s masterpiece, Symphony No. 9. Joining LSO are soloists Esther Heideman, Sylvia Leith, Bradley King, Edmund Milly, and the combined forces of the Abendmusik Chorus, Doane University Choir and Collegiate Chorale, Nebraska Wesleyan University Choir, and the Saint Paul UMC Chancel Choir. The program opens with Jake Runestad’s poignant choral piece, A Silence Haunts Me, with text based on Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament.

To conclude the 2026–2027 season, Concerts at Saint Thomas celebrates the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, one of the most beloved voices in English choral music. The program is anchored by the luminous Five Mystical Songs, Vaughan Williams’s setting of sacred poetry by George Herbert, featuring bass-baritone Edmund Milly and a quintet from Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Combining pastoral lyricism, spiritual depth, and radiant choral writing, this season finale offers a fitting tribute to a composer whose music continues to inspire performers and audiences alike.

The Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys

Orchestra of St. Luke’s

Edmund Milly, Baritone

Richard Tanner, Conductor