Mass in B Minor

Bach's B-Minor Mass is for choral groups a little like a full marathon — you have to build up to it. And when you finally have mastered all the necessities for a successful presentation of the piece, you still need five good soloists and a strong orchestra. Over the past few years, the Bay Area has seen more than a few B-Minor Masses, some good and some not-so-good, a tribute to the audience-pulling power of this work, as well as a warning to the unwary.

But if you're the California Bach Society, the mass is in your future sometime. And under Paul Flight, the group's director since 2006, the CBS has been fine-tuned to readiness, improvements that have been noted by a variety of SFCV reviewers. Now is the time: This weekend, the 35-voice chorus will take on the B-Minor Mass with a strong roster of soloists, headed by Flight himself singing countertenor, and a “pickup" orchestra featuring many of the stalwarts who make the Bay Area early music scene so strong. If past impressions are anything to go by, it promises to be a winning performance.