The Bach Society of Minnesota originated with a group of music students at the University of Minnesota in the early 1930s who wanted to sing the music of Bach. By 1933, a singing society, which organized and performed annual Bach Festivals, was formed under the direction of Professor Donald Ferguson.
When Ferguson retired in 1950, the Society entered a dormant period. Following several stalled attempts to revive the group, psychology professor Dr. David LaBerge reorganized the group in 1959 and, with underwriting from the University of Minnesota, resurrected the annual festivals. The Society continued in collaboration with the University until 1966, when it became incorporated as an independent nonprofit organization. Dr. LaBerge retired in 1980 and Henry Charles Smith, Resident Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, assumed the position of Music Director.
Throughout the years the chorus size and focus fluctuated. In the early 1970s the chorus swelled to 240 members in order to balance with the Minnesota Orchestra, with whom the Society frequently performed at the University's Northrup Auditorium. In 1974 the Society adopted more stringent audition criteria and the size of the chorus was reduced to eighty. While focusing on Bach, the repertoire of the Society often included other major choral composers, such as Verdi, Handel, Mozart, and Brahms.
From the guide to the Organizational Records., 1933-1994 (bulk 1959-1991)., (Minnesota Historical Society)
