The San Francisco Bach Choir has been an important part of the Bay Area's cultural life for over seven decades. One of the oldest choirs in the western United States, the SFBC has played a major role in establishing choral music as a serious art form in Northern California. Under the leadership of late director David P. Babbitt, the choir expanded its programming focus, specializing not only in the music of J. S. Bach, but in all the music from the rich German choral tradition spanning from the late 16th through the 18th centuries. Concerts include the great masterworks as well as rare literature and feature period performance practices, baroque-specialist soloists, and a fine baroque orchestra and instrumental consort whose membership is drawn from a roster of internationally known artists. Under the leadership of new director Corey Jamason, the choir continues its tradition and launches a new era of musical discovery.