Tuesday, January 7
Sacramento Recorder Society
Regular meeting for recorder players, with guest conductor Greta Haug-Hryciw. Newcomers welcome. Bring recorders, stand, and other early instruments. Music provided. Refreshments. The Sacramento Recorder Society is a chapter of the American Recorder Society. Members range from low-intermediate to advanced players, all with a love of early music. Players of other early music instruments are also welcome.
6:45–9:30 PM
Friends Meeting House
890 57th St., between H and J, Sacramento.
sacrecorders.wordpress.com
916-698-5774, e-mail: [email protected]
Wednesday, January 8
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, January 10
SFEMS presents Les Voix Humaines
Mélisande Corriveau, Margaret Little, Felix Deak, Marie-Laurence Primeau and Susie Napper viols; with Nigel North lute, perform “Lachrimae.” John Dowland’s Pavan Lachrimae has become canon in the annals of consort music! “Unfit guests in these joyful times,” these seven tears of extreme beauty are cried out by five viols and lute, Dowland’s instrument. This performance is significantly different from most in that the music is ornamented in a style appropriate to the period and in defiance of a certain modern Puritanism that demands total adherence to the written page. The embellishment adds expressive elegance and musical freedom that we hope enhances the audience’s “joy and gladness!” Read more . . .
8 PM
First Presbyterian Church
1140 Cowper Street (at Lincoln), Palo Alto
$50 general, $45 senior, $15 students (under age 30 with ID, available only at box office)
Mini-Subscriptions still available
Individual tickets online or phone 510-528-1725
www.sfems.org
Sonoma Bach, Robert Worth, Director
“The Orpheus of Amsterdam” Organist Anne Laver returns again to follow up her triumphant, sold-out 2019 recital. The Sonoma Bach Choir will join Annie in exploring the music of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562–1621), called “The Orpheus of Amsterdam” by a contemporary critic. Sweelinck spent his entire career in Amsterdam, as organist at the city’s Oude Kerk, where he played daily municipal concerts. Featured works will be the spectacular Fantasia Chromatica, Psalm 23, and several variation sets, including Ons is geboren ein kindekijn and Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (attributed to Sweelinck’s son). The Bach Choir will provide themes and arrangements of the tunes, as well as selections from the brilliant motet collection Cantiones sacrae.
8 PM Bachgrounder pre-concert talk, 7:25 PM
Schroeder Hall, Green Music Center
1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park
Tickets $28/$15
877-914-bach, 707-347-9491 or www.sonomabach.org
South Bay Recorder Society
Monthly meeting, guest conductor Tom Bickley. New members and guests welcome.
7:30–10 PM
First Congregational Church of San Jose
1980 Hamilton Ave (at Leigh), San Jose
408-358-0878 or [email protected]
Saturday, January 11
Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center presents Philharmonia Baroque
“The Music of Shakespeare,” with soprano Sherezade Panthaki. If music be the food of love, play on! Feast your ears on a banquet of music as Nicholas McGegan conducts the Philharmonia Baroque Chamber Players with guest soprano Sherezade Panthaki in works by Purcell, Locke, Arne, and more with texts inspired by Shakespeare. Under the musical direction of Nicholas McGegan for the past 33 years, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO) is recognized as America’s leading historically informed ensemble. Using authentic instruments and stylistic conventions of the Baroque to early-Romantic periods, the orchestra engages audiences throughout the world. Founded in the Bay Area, PBO is the largest ensemble of its kind in the United States and is known for its versatility in programming and its joyful performances. An acknowledged star in the early-music field, Sherezade Panthaki has performed with many of the world’s leading interpreters. Firmly at home in the numerous Baroque oratorios, operas, and cantatas, Panthaki has also received wide acclaim for her interpretations of Brahms’ Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, as well as new music premieres. A native of India, Panthaki holds an artist diploma with top honors from the Yale School of Music and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, and has served as vocal coach for the Yale Baroque Opera Project.
8 PM
Bankhead Theater
2400 First Street, Livermore
$20–$95
Tickets online or 925-373-6800
Philharmonia Baroque and Junior Bach Festival
“Play and Dance to Bach” A free Community Music and Dance Workshop, jointly sponsored by Philharmonia and the Junior Bach Festival, with Dance Specialist Jen Meller and musicians from PBO. 1:00–1:15 Baroque Dance Demo by dance specialist Jen Meller; 1:15–2:15 Baroque Dance Class (no prior experience required); 2:15–2:30 Informal Dance and Music Performance of Minuet in G from Anna Magdalena’s 2nd Notebook (feel free to join in!), instruments pitched at A440; 2:30–3:15 Baroque Instrument Tryathon for strings or harpsichord (email [email protected] to reserve a spot!).
1–3:15 PM
Crowden Music Center
1475 Rose Street, Berkeley
SFEMS presents Les Voix Humaines
Mélisande Corriveau, Margaret Little, Felix Deak, Marie-Laurence Primeau and Susie Napper viols; with Nigel North lute, perform “Lachrimae.” John Dowland’s Pavan Lachrimae has become canon in the annals of consort music! “Unfit guests in these joyful times,” these seven tears of extreme beauty are cried out by five viols and lute, Dowland’s instrument. This performance is significantly different from most in that the music is ornamented in a style appropriate to the period and in defiance of a certain modern Puritanism that demands total adherence to the written page. The embellishment adds expressive elegance and musical freedom that we hope enhances the audience’s “joy and gladness!” Read more . . .
7:30 PM
St. John’s Presbyterian Church
2727 College Avenue (at Garber), Berkeley$50 general, $45 senior, $15 students (under age 30 with ID, available only at box office)
Mini-Subscriptions still available
Individual tickets online or phone 510-528-1725
www.sfems.org
Viola da Gamba Society/Pacifica Chapter
Pacifica Viols PlayDay with Pat O’Scannell. You must be a member of Pacifica Viola da Gamba Society (Associate Members excepted) to register for and attend our PlayDays. Non-members may attend one session as a guest, but must register ahead of time with the PlayDays Consort Coordinator: [email protected]
9 AM–3 PM
Hillside Church
1422 Navellier Street, El Cerrito
RSVP. Please email or phone ahead.
[email protected]
https://pacificaviols.org
Sunday, January 12
SFEMS presents Les Voix Humaines
Mélisande Corriveau, Margaret Little, Felix Deak, Marie-Laurence Primeau and Susie Napper viols; with Nigel North lute, perform “Lachrimae.” John Dowland’s Pavan Lachrimae has become canon in the annals of consort music! “Unfit guests in these joyful times,” these seven tears of extreme beauty are cried out by five viols and lute, Dowland’s instrument. This performance is significantly different from most in that the music is ornamented in a style appropriate to the period and in defiance of a certain modern Puritanism that demands total adherence to the written page. The embellishment adds expressive elegance and musical freedom that we hope enhances the audience’s “joy and gladness!” Read more . . .
4 PM
Church of the Advent
261 Fell Street (between Gough and Franklin), San Francisco
$50 general, $45 senior, $15 students (under age 30 with ID, available only at box office)
Mini-Subscriptions still available
Individual tickets online or phone 510-528-1725
www.sfems.org
