Constructing 'My Bach' relevance of historical constructions of bach for members in an English Amateur 'Art Music': Composer-oriented bach choir

The purpose of this paper is to observe the meaning of J. S. Bach and his canonical repertoire in the lives of members of an amateur Bach choir; how they construct 'their Bach' through the performance of the Mass in B Minor and how the relevance of historical, biographical constructions on Bach affect the meanings they attribute to his music. Main findings indicate 'personal' experiences of Bach in spiritual/religious context as the virtuous composer, the tangible association of Bach with baroque design and the brilliance of Bach as a musical and mathematical genius. Findings indicate that participants create and construct 'their Bach' as a way to put his music into socio-historical context.