The choir was formed in 1947. The singers were good amateur singers. Steinitz rehearsed them a lot until they were very good. The London Bach Society (LBS) gave many concerts of Bach's music, as well as singing music by other Baroque composers such as Handel, Telemann and Heinrich Schütz. They also sang works by modern composers such as Stravinsky, John Tavener and Nicholas Maw. Between 1958 and 1987 the LBS choir performed all the cantatas by Bach which survive. 208 of them are known. Many others have been lost. The choir performed one of Bach's passions every Lent, usually the "St Matthew Passion". They also went on tour, travelling to the USA, Israel, Bulgaria and twice to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) where they sang at St Thomas Church, Leipzig, where Bach had been Director of Music.