Wednesday, October 26
Early Music Open Mic Night
Join us for Early Music Open Mic Night in the East Bay. This is your opportunity to perform early music in a friendly cabaret style setting. Instrumentalists, singers, soloists, groups, students, youngsters, professionals — all are welcome! Please email [email protected] with the date you’d like to perform. Time slots will be up to 15 minutes, and there will be six time slots on each night. A Roland state of the art harpsichord/organ will be available on site as well as a regular piano. Food and drinks will be provided.
7–9:30 PM
Hillside Community Church,
1422 Navellier Street, El Cerrito
Donations gratefully accepted
[email protected]
Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra
Regular meeting, for players of recorder, early winds or early strings. Bring your instrument(s) and music stand.
7:30–9:30 PM
Trinity Church, Angus Hall
330 Ravenswood Ave. (at Laurel), Menlo Park
650-591-3648 or mpro-online.org
Friday, October 28
Albany Consort
“Bad, Sad and Mad” The Albany Consort season begins just in time for Halloween. Pulling out all the stops this year with a Bad, Sad and Mad concert. Art music’s first tone cluster (Rebel’s Chaos, which includes all the notes of then scale sounded together); exquisite violin music inspired by the devil (Tartini’s Devil’s Trill Sonata); Vivaldi’s Things That Go Bump In The Night Concerto (including deranged drunken sleep); Dowland in a melancholic mood (yes, I know he was always in that mood); blessings for the dead by Schütz and Sheli Nan (a brand new piece written for us!); and Purcell’s counterculture anti-authority witches brewing up something very nasty.
12:30 PM
Stanford Hospital Atrium
300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford
Free
Information: http://www.albanyconsort.org/next-concert/, 408-480-0182.
Barefoot Chamber Concerts
Gilbert Martinez. harpsichord, plays Music of Rameau. Gilbert Martinez, still local though also resident in Copenhagen (yes, we don’t understand it either) will play an entire concert of music by Jean-Phillipe Rameau. We heard this program 2 years ago, and have been working hard on presenting it at Barefoot ever since. Rameau (or, as they say in England, “Wammo”) represents the best and maybe most prolific of the late, decadent French musicians: he held the title “Compositeur du Cabinet du Roi,” and beside his fabulous harpsichord music, he wrote many operas, ballets, chamber music, cantatas, and sacred music. Although he was often controversial (mostly because of his poor social skills) during his lifetime, he was highly regarded by most of his peers; his unusually rich harmonic language changed French music forever, and surely his operas are the gold standard of French baroque opera. His zest for drama is also reflected in the harpsichord music, which is conspicuously daring and colorful. Gilbert Martinez needs no introduction to Bay Area music lovers. Director of MusicSources, conductor, harpsichordist of legendary panache, his all-around music enthusiast, his talents are uncannily well suited to this fascinating music. The program will include the suite in E minor/major from (1724), selections from Suite in A minor (1728), and miscellaneous items (including the Ouverture to Pigmalion). We can’t wait.This may well be your last chance for relaxed musical fun before the onslaught of politics, holidays, cold weather and long nights, so come out while you have the chance. There will be snax!
6 PM
Parish Hall, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
2300 Bancroft Way, Berkeley
Tickets at the door or reserve online (recommended)
510-220-1195
Music in the Meetinghouse
“Trios: violin, cello & harpsichord.” Palo Alto Friends Meeting hosts another in an occasional series of chamber music concerts on period instruments to benefit Friends Committee on Legislation of California. Katherine Heater, harpsichord, Anthony Martin, violin, and Adaiha MacAdam-Somer, cello, will play trios by Haydn, Pleyel and Mozart, plus a Boccherini Cello Sonata. Audiences at previous concerts have noted that the intimate space and acoustics of the Palo Alto Meetinghouse are ideal for such small ensembles. Families with children are encouraged to come; sit close to the musicians to see and hear a live performance of music from a pre-electronic age.
8 PM
Palo Alto Friends Meetinghouse
957 Colorado Ave (south of Oregon expressway, between Louis and Greer), Palo Alto.
Suggested donation at the door: adults $25, under 16 $15
Tickets 650-322-2455, information [email protected]
UC Davis Music Department
Faculty Recital featuring harpsichordist Phebe Craig performing Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Trio Sonata No. 4 in C Minor; Isabella Leonarda, Sonata Prima; J.D. Heinichen, Sonata a 3; and J.P.Rameau, Pièce de Clavecin en concert No. 4. With Maria Caswell, violin; Gwyneth Davis, viola da gamba; and Judyaba, pardessus de viole.
7 PM
Ann E. Pitzer Center
144 Hutchison Dr., Davis
$10–$20
530-754-2787
Saturday, October 29
Albany Consort
“Bad, Sad and Mad” The Albany Consort season begins just in time for Halloween. Pulling out all the stops this year with a Bad, Sad and Mad concert. Art music’s first tone cluster (Rebel’s Chaos, which includes all the notes of then scale sounded together); exquisite violin music inspired by the devil (Tartini’s Devil’s Trill Sonata); Vivaldi’s Things That Go Bump In The Night Concerto (including deranged drunken sleep); Dowland in a melancholic mood (yes, I know he was always in that mood); blessings for the dead by Schütz and Sheli Nan (a brand new piece written for us!); and Purcell’s counterculture anti-authority witches brewing up something very nasty.
7 PM
Los Altos Lutheran Church
640 S El Monte
Los Altos, CA
Tickets $30 general
Information: http://www.albanyconsort.org/next-concert/, 408-480-0182.
Sunday, October 30
Albany Consort
“Bad, Sad and Mad” The Albany Consort season begins just in time for Halloween. Pulling out all the stops this year with a Bad, Sad and Mad concert. Art music’s first tone cluster (Rebel’s Chaos, which includes all the notes of then scale sounded together); exquisite violin music inspired by the devil (Tartini’s Devil’s Trill Sonata); Vivaldi’s Things That Go Bump In The Night Concerto (including deranged drunken sleep); Dowland in a melancholic mood (yes, I know he was always in that mood); blessings for the dead by Schütz and Sheli Nan (a brand new piece written for us!); and Purcell’s counterculture anti-authority witches brewing up something very nasty.
3 PM
Christian Science Organization,
2601 Durant Ave. (at Bowditch), Berkeley
Tickets $30 general
Information: http://www.albanyconsort.org/next-concert/, 408-480-0182.
Concerts By The Square
“Sfizi Italiani” Philharmonia Baroque cellists Phoebe Carrai and Robert Howard join forces for a program of Italian baroque favorites, featuring works by Cervetto, Scarlatti, and Boccherini. Our discussion will center on the composers as well as the evolution of the cello from its baroque form to the present day. Wine and light supper included. Please join us for this musical show & tell. Very limited seating; advance reservations required.
5:30 PM
1469 McAllister St., San Francisco
Tickets: $60 Advance reservations required
415-577-4959, [email protected]
Gallimaufry, Shira Kammen, Artistic Director
“Mappa Mundi: A Musical Atlas” a concert of medieval, Renaissance, and traditional music celebrating great places of the world, presented as part of the Bay Area Classical Harmonies and Arlington Community Church concert series. Gallimaufry was formed in early 2014 by well-known early music scholar and musician, Shira Kammen. The group performs music from the medieval and Renaissance eras, as well as traditional and contemporary settings of early texts and tunes. The group is unusual in the early music world for performing mostly secular rather than sacred music. Our name, “Gallimaufry,” is a 16th century French word meaning mix or medley (referring usually to a stew or soup), and reflects the variety of music the group performs. Led by Ms. Kammen as Artistic Director, who also arranges and composes some of the music the ensemble performs, Gallimaufry consists of 20 or so singers from throughout the Bay Area, with experience ranging from skilled amateur to semi-professional. Gallimaufry primarily performs a cappella, but each concert also includes some accompanied pieces and some early or traditional instrumental music performed by Ms. Kammen and by guest artists as well.
7 PM
Arlington Community Church
52 Arlington Avenue, Kensington
Tickets: $20 general, $15 seniors, $10 students (available at the door or, for a $5 discount purchase on-line, at www.bayareabach.org/)
Free parking; reception to follow
Hidden Valley Road Scholar Early Music Workshop
“Celebrating the Music of German Speaking Lands,” a week-long workshop for recorder and viola da gamba with faculty Letitia Berlin, Frances Blaker, Shira Kammen, Miyo Aoki, and Rosalund Morley. The schedule includes four daily classes, morning exercise/dance, and impromptu group playing. These classes are appropriate for intermediate to advanced recorder and viola da gamba players. The schedule includes a faculty concert on Tuesday night, student concert (and open mike) on Friday, and a free afternoon on Wednesday to give you time to explore the beautiful Carmel Valley area, play music, or just relax. Continues through November 6. A second week (November 7–13) follows, with additional classes for shawm and dulcian.
Hidden Valley Institute of the Performing Arts
88 West Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley, CA
Please visit www.hiddenvalleymusic.org and click on the link for Early Music Workshops for faculty bios and registration. To register by telephone, call Road Scholar Registration toll-free at 1-800-454-5768 and ask for program number #6254RJ. For questions about the workshop curriculum please email Tish Berlin, Director, at [email protected] or call 510-882-1169.
Continue reading next week’s calendar . . .
