Monday, April 18
American Bach Soloists
American Bach Soloists presents a master class with Sandra Miller, baroque flute.
7:30 PM
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
50 Oak St., San Francisco
Free
415-621-7900
Wednesday, April 20
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
Music Room number 060, J.L. Stanford Middle School
480 E. Meadow, Palo Alto
650-591-3648 or mpro-online.org
San Francisco Recorder Society
Monthly playing session with guest conductor David Hogan-Smith. New members and guests welcome.
7:30 PM–9:30 PM
Christ Church Lutheran
1090 Quintara St. (at 20th Ave.), San Francisco.
Non-members $10 fee applied to membership.
For more information contact Florence Kress: 415-731-9709, arssanfrancisco.org/
Friday, April 22
American Bach Soloists, Jeffrey Thomas, Artistic Director
“Easter & Ascension Oratorios” Bach composed impressive oratorios for three important occasions within the Lutheran calendar: Christmas, Easter, and the Feast of the Ascension. Completing the trilogy begun in December (see December 12-13 for “Christmas Oratorio”), ABS will perform the composer’s exuberant “Easter Oratorio” (Oster-Oratorium, BWV 249) and “Ascension Oratorio” (Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11). Pulling out all the stops for these jubilant works—trumpets, timpani, flutes, oboes, recorders, strings, and voices—Bach composed joyful, extroverted music, tempered by exquisite moments of reflective calm. Along with these masterworks from Bach’s mature years in Leipzig, Thomas and his ABS forces will perform an Ascension cantata by Bach’s predecessor Johann Kuhnau and Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn (“Today God’s Son Triumphs”), a work for Easter by one of Bach’s important musical influences, Dieterich Buxtehude. With soloists Clara Rottsolk, soprano; Eric Jurenas, countertenor; Zachary Wilder, tenor; and Joshua Copeland, bass.
8 PM
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church,
3 Bay View Ave., Belvedere
$30–$72
Tickets online or 415-621-7900
California Bach Society, Paul Flight, Director
“Singet dem Herrn—Bach motets and chorales” Bach’s motets are virtuoso works of extraordinary expression and complexity. We present two double-choir motets, Singet dem Herrn and Der Geist hilft unsere Schwachheit auf, and the challenging motet Jesu meine Freude. Interspersed between the motets will be some of the composer’s most elaborate and serene chorales. Beloved for their expressive rhetoric and word-painting, chorale tunes, and glorious rhythmic freedom and joy, these works reveal Bach’s deep sense of faith. Together, these works are the embodiment of the eloquent statement that Bach wrote in the margins of his Lutheran Bible: “Where there is devotional music, God, with his grace, is always present.” Read more . . .
8 PM
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
1111 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco
General admission $28 in advance, or $33 at the door; senior $20 advance or $24 door. Students and under 30 always pay $10.
SFEMS members receive a $5 discount on the advance purchase price when using promotion code “SFEMS” until 5 PM, Thursday, April 23.
Order by phone at 650-485-1097 or online at www.calbach.org/tickets.pl.
Saturday, April 23
American Bach Soloists, Jeffrey Thomas, Artistic Director
“Easter & Ascension Oratorios” Bach composed impressive oratorios for three important occasions within the Lutheran calendar: Christmas, Easter, and the Feast of the Ascension. Completing the trilogy begun in December (see December 12-13 for “Christmas Oratorio”), ABS will perform the composer’s exuberant “Easter Oratorio” (Oster-Oratorium, BWV 249) and “Ascension Oratorio” (Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11). Pulling out all the stops for these jubilant works—trumpets, timpani, flutes, oboes, recorders, strings, and voices—Bach composed joyful, extroverted music, tempered by exquisite moments of reflective calm. Along with these masterworks from Bach’s mature years in Leipzig, Thomas and his ABS forces will perform an Ascension cantata by Bach’s predecessor Johann Kuhnau and Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn (“Today God’s Son Triumphs”), a work for Easter by one of Bach’s important musical influences, Dieterich Buxtehude. With soloists Clara Rottsolk, soprano; Eric Jurenas, countertenor; Zachary Wilder, tenor; and Joshua Copeland, bass.
8 PM
First Congregational Church,
2345 Channing Way, Berkeley
$30–$72
Tickets online or 415-621-7900
Bay Area Classical Harmonies, Andrew J. Chung Director
“Voices from Heaven: An Evening of German Choral Music with works by Bruckner, Buxtehude, Handel, and Schütz.” Join Bay Area Classical Harmonies for a spring concert full of praise for the holy spirit. BACH will be performing a program of German choral songs with biblical and religious texts. German Choral works by Bruckner, Buxtehude, Handel, and Schütz. Presented in an intimate setting by BACH’s premiere chamber ensemble and featuring solos by some of the Bay Area’s finest classical singers, the evening will include music from Handel’s Messiah, Dieterich Buxtehude’s Magnificat, and a selection of pieces by Heinrich Schütz and Anton Bruckner.
7:30 PM
Lynnewood United Methodist Church
4444 Black Ave., Pleasanton
$10 to $25
Tickets online
California Bach Society, Paul Flight, Director
“Singet dem Herrn—Bach motets and chorales” Bach’s motets are virtuoso works of extraordinary expression and complexity. We present two double-choir motets, Singet dem Herrn and Der Geist hilft unsere Schwachheit auf, and the challenging motet Jesu meine Freude. Interspersed between the motets will be some of the composer’s most elaborate and serene chorales. Beloved for their expressive rhetoric and word-painting, chorale tunes, and glorious rhythmic freedom and joy, these works reveal Bach’s deep sense of faith. Together, these works are the embodiment of the eloquent statement that Bach wrote in the margins of his Lutheran Bible: “Where there is devotional music, God, with his grace, is always present.” Read more . . .
All Saints Episcopal Church
555 Waverley St., Palo Alto
General admission $28 in advance, or $33 at the door; senior $20 advance or $24 door. Students and under 30 always pay $10.
SFEMS members receive a $5 discount on the advance purchase price when using promotion code “SFEMS” until 5 PM, Thursday, April 23.
Order by phone at 650-485-1097 or or online at www.calbach.org/tickets.pl.
Foothill Community Concert Series
“Flauti Dolci & Amici II” Recorder-based ensembles from around the Bay Area share their love of (mostly) early music. Featured groups include The Arlington Trio, Bona Speranza, SDQ, Concerto Celestini, EBMC, and The Peralta Consort.
3 PM
Foothill Presbyterian Church
5301 McKee Road, San José
$10; children 12 and under are free.
Tickets available at the door or online at www.FoothillPC.org/tickets
San Francisco Renaissance Voices
“Performance Mastery—transform fear into performance power!” Dr. Diana Rowan of Bright Knowledge Academy leads a workshop in which students learn to overcome fear rejection or making mistakes; experience every opportunity to perform as a highlight of the week; get over stage fright; and to perform with ease, confidence and joy. Join us for this afternoon workshop where you will be introduced to and practice the 3 Pillars of Performance Mastery. You’ll also have the opportunity to workshop your performing live in a safe, supportive environment. You are guaranteed to come away with usable, transformative results.
1 PM
Seventh Avenue Presbyterian Church
1329 Seventh Avenue, San Francisco
$35 NOTE: You may also register at the door; however, advance reservations recommended as Dr. Rowan likes to get in touch beforehand to tailor the workshop to participants’ needs.
Tickets online or 415-681-4391 x3
Santa Cruz Baroque Festival
“Shakespeare and Experimental Baroque” Shakespeare and Experimental Baroque highlights cutting edge vocal, lute and guitar music from the 17th-18th centuries when much of Baroque music was controversial and new. Honoring William Shakespeare’s 400th death anniversary (April 23, 1616), our program opens with High Renaissance songs from Shakespeare’s plays and closes with High Baroque settings of Shakespeare texts. Experimental Italian songs that were considered radical at the start of the 17th century will form the center of the concert featuring ‘Canzonetta La Nonna’ by Tarquinio Merula. Later in the 17th Century, Purcell took Italian experimental chromaticism to heart in his heart-rending lament, The Plainte (O Let me Weep), from his own adapted version of Shakespeare’s ‘The Fairy Queen’. Elizabeth Hungerford’s clarion voice will illuminate Shakespeare’s words and bring them to life.
Remembering William Shakespeare, 1564-1616, a memorial service given by UCSC’s Literature Department, will take place in the Recital Hall at 6 PM with readings from and about the man and his works, featuring UC Santa Cruz faculty and students, and members of Santa Cruz Shakespeare. We’re going to put the “fun” back in funeral! It will replace the usual pre-concert talk and is a free event open to the public. Co-sponsored by Shakespeare Workshop, a research center of the Institute for Humanities Research, and Porter College.
7:30 PM
UC Santa Cruz Recital Hall
Meyer Drive, UCSC Campus, Santa Cruz
$5–$30
Tickets, 831-457-9693 or www.scbaroque.org
Sunday, April 24
American Bach Soloists, Jeffrey Thomas, Artistic Director
“Easter & Ascension Oratorios” Bach composed impressive oratorios for three important occasions within the Lutheran calendar: Christmas, Easter, and the Feast of the Ascension. Completing the trilogy begun in December (see December 12-13 for “Christmas Oratorio”), ABS will perform the composer’s exuberant “Easter Oratorio” (Oster-Oratorium, BWV 249) and “Ascension Oratorio” (Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11). Pulling out all the stops for these jubilant works—trumpets, timpani, flutes, oboes, recorders, strings, and voices—Bach composed joyful, extroverted music, tempered by exquisite moments of reflective calm. Along with these masterworks from Bach’s mature years in Leipzig, Thomas and his ABS forces will perform an Ascension cantata by Bach’s predecessor Johann Kuhnau and Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn (“Today God’s Son Triumphs”), a work for Easter by one of Bach’s important musical influences, Dieterich Buxtehude. With soloists Clara Rottsolk, soprano; Eric Jurenas, countertenor; Zachary Wilder, tenor; and Joshua Copeland, bass.
4 PM
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church,
1111 O’Farrell St., San Francisco
$30–$72
Tickets online or 415-621-7900
Brocelïande—Celtic & Early Music Ensemble
The Arts at St. Bede’s presents Margaret Davies, harps & recorders; Kristoph Klover, guitars & mandolins; and Kris Yenney, cellos, performing a program of evocative music from ancient Celtic traditions and other early music.
4 PM
St. Bede’s Episcopal Church
2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park
$5–$15
650-854-6555
California Bach Society, Paul Flight, Director
“Singet dem Herrn—Bach motets and chorales” Bach’s motets are virtuoso works of extraordinary expression and complexity. We present two double-choir motets, Singet dem Herrn and Der Geist hilft unsere Schwachheit auf, and the challenging motet Jesu meine Freude. Interspersed between the motets will be some of the composer’s most elaborate and serene chorales. Beloved for their expressive rhetoric and word-painting, chorale tunes, and glorious rhythmic freedom and joy, these works reveal Bach’s deep sense of faith. Together, these works are the embodiment of the eloquent statement that Bach wrote in the margins of his Lutheran Bible: “Where there is devotional music, God, with his grace, is always present.” Read more . . .
4 PM
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
2300 Bancroft Way, Berkeley
General admission $28 in advance, or $33 at the door; senior $20 advance or $24 door. Students and under 30 always pay $10.
SFEMS members receive a $5 discount on the advance purchase price when using promotion code “SFEMS” until 5 PM, Thursday, April 23.
Order by phone at 650-485-1097 or or online at www.calbach.org/tickets.pl.
Coro Ciconia, Asher Davison, Director
“Love Writ Large: Medieval manners of reverence—a secular context for Machaut’s great Mass” This program delves into disparate aspects of admiration. The sacred dance O Virgo splendens embodies trancelike veneration; in Ciconia’s exuberant O Padua, the shining star is a fervently admired city. Several songs from Machaut’s Remède de Fortune depict shameless giddiness, dutiful devotion, and fervent gratitude, while his wretchedly beautiful rondeau Puis qu’en oubli broaches the misery of rejection. We find profound compassion for the besmirched in the Fortuna desperata of Busnois and its intricate homage by Agricola; our shared grief at the loss of Machaut, declared in the Armes, amours of Andrieu, is comfortless but resigned. Why not the Messe de Nostre Dame as centerpiece? Machaut’s remarkable and inimitable work, by far the earliest known setting of the complete Ordinary, offers in its adoration of the divine an expressive range perhaps never exceeded. With singers Peter Fisher, Cheryl Koehler, Jane Jewell, Dorothy Manly, Jean McAneny, Stephen Pitcher, Ralph Prince, Scott Robinson, Helen Wolfe-Visnick, and Donald Ziff.
7 PM
Arlington Community Church
52 Arlington Ave, Kensington
At the door: $20 general, $15 senior, $10 student
Wine & cheese reception to follow; ample free parking
www.acc-ucc.org/concert-series
Continue reading next week’s calendar . . .
