Monday, May 6
American Bach Soloists, Jeffrey Thomas, Conductor
ABS’s 30th Season concludes with J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, Nos. 2, 4, 5, and 6, each one featuring the renowned Bach specialists of ABS. The second concerto brings together the disparate solo forces of trumpet, oboe, violin, and recorder in perfect interplay as only Bach could have achieved; the fourth concerto is a legendary showcase for virtuoso violino principale and two recorders; the fifth is supremely elegant in its scoring for violin, the gentle flauto traverso, and cembalo concertato, including the extravagant and even hair-raising cadenza for the harpsichordist; and in the sixth concerto Bach pits the old against the new as a pair of violas da gamba and violone take on their more “modern” counterparts, a pair of violas and violoncello, in repartee that is both rich in sonority and enlightening in its glimpse at a magical moment in history.
7 PM
Davis Community Church
412 C Street at Fourth
Tickets online $35 to $89
800-595-4TIX (-4849), [email protected]
http://americanbach.org
Tuesday, May 7
Sacramento Recorder Society
Regular meeting for recorder players, with guest conductor Arthur Omura. Newcomers welcome. Bring recorders, stand, and other early instruments. Music provided. Refreshments.
6:45–9:30 PM
Friends Meeting House
890 57th St., between H and J, Sacramento.
sacrecorders.wordpress.com
Friday, May 10
SFEMS presents Antic Faces
“Joyne Hands” The exciting new Renaissance band Antic Faces brings together six world-class West Coast favorites to recreate the unique sound of the English mixed consort. This iconic Elizabethan ensemble-grouping was the first of its kind, specifically drawing from different instrument families (winds, bowed strings, plucked and strummed strings) to create a richly varied texture which quickly captured the imagination of composers in England and abroad. The playful dialogue between the violin and Renaissance flute, the virtuosic flash of the lute, the lushly intertwining support of the bass viol, against the shimmering backdrop of the wire-strung bandora and cittern: this truly irresistible combination, endowed with endless possibilities of invention and variety, became a centerpiece of courtly and theatrical entertainments.
The musicians of Antic Faces (Peter Hallifax, viol and bandora; Julie Jeffrey, viol and cittern; Shira Kammen, violin and viol; John Lenti, lute and viol; David Morris, viol; and Mindy Rosenfeld, flute) bring this music alive with their vibrant chemistry. The program will feature the best of the English mixed consort repertoire, based on songs and dances of the day, running the gamut in mood from rollicking to refined, including music of Dowland, Byrd, Morley, Phillips, Allison, and more. Selections for the big band will be mixed with moments showcasing the artistry of individual soloists. For textural contrast, the string consort (violin and viols) will intersperse a selection of Orlando Gibbons’ sonorous Fantasies and serene In nomines. Read more . . .
8 PM
First Presbyterian Church
1140 Cowper Street (at Lincoln), Palo Alto
General $45, Seniors $40.50, SFEMS Members $38.25, Students with ID $15
Buy tickets online or phone 510-528-1725
www.sfems.org
South Bay Recorder Society
Monthly meeting, guest conductor Derek Tam. 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, May 11
SFEMS presents Antic Faces
“Joyne Hands” The exciting new Renaissance band Antic Faces brings together six world-class West Coast favorites to recreate the unique sound of the English mixed consort. This iconic Elizabethan ensemble-grouping was the first of its kind, specifically drawing from different instrument families (winds, bowed strings, plucked and strummed strings) to create a richly varied texture which quickly captured the imagination of composers in England and abroad. The playful dialogue between the violin and Renaissance flute, the virtuosic flash of the lute, the lushly intertwining support of the bass viol, against the shimmering backdrop of the wire-strung bandora and cittern: this truly irresistible combination, endowed with endless possibilities of invention and variety, became a centerpiece of courtly and theatrical entertainments.
The musicians of Antic Faces (Peter Hallifax, viol and bandora; Julie Jeffrey, viol and cittern; Shira Kammen, violin and viol; John Lenti, lute and viol; David Morris, viol; and Mindy Rosenfeld, flute) bring this music alive with their vibrant chemistry. The program will feature the best of the English mixed consort repertoire, based on songs and dances of the day, running the gamut in mood from rollicking to refined, including music of Dowland, Byrd, Morley, Phillips, Allison, and more. Selections for the big band will be mixed with moments showcasing the artistry of individual soloists. For textural contrast, the string consort (violin and viols) will intersperse a selection of Orlando Gibbons’ sonorous Fantasies and serene In nomines. Read more . . .
7:30 PM
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
2300 Bancroft Way, Berkeley
General $45, Seniors $40.50, SFEMS Members $38.25, Students with ID $15
Buy Tickets online, by email, [email protected], or by phone 510-528-1725
Tickets available at the church starting 45 minutes before the performance
www.sfems.org
Tactus
“Evolution and Identity,” a concert of Renaissance polyphony, sung in Latin, French, Esperanto, Sanskrit, English, Hebrew, and Turkish. The program features several world premieres on the theme by our own members and includes interludes played on organ and lute. Our Identity is a critical part of our moral compass, and when its core is challenged, destroyed, or lost, we can feel confused, bereft, and afraid. However, such challenges also result in critical introspection, determination, and eventually, Evolution, amalgamating into a stronger Identity that can thrive in newer climates.
4 PM
St Matthew’s Lutheran Church
3281 16th St., San Francisco
Tickets online or [email protected]
Viola da Gamba Society/Pacifica Chapter
Monthly viol consort playing with guest coach Alexa Hayes-Pilon. Players of all levels welcome. Newcomers please phone ahead.
9 AM–3 PM
Hillside Church
1422 Navellier Street, El Cerrito
RSVP. Newcomers, please email or phone ahead.
Cindi Olwell, 415-999-5242 or [email protected]
http://www.pacificaviols.org/
Sunday, May 12
Chamber Music San Francisco presents Archetti
“Brandenburg Concertos” These virtuosic, ebullient works reflect one of the happiest and most productive periods in Bach’s life, when he was the music director in the small town of Coethen, and they remain enduringly popular. Our annual tradition of presenting these merry masterpieces continues, featuring the dazzling string ensemble Archetti. Program includes J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 and Concerto for 2 Violins in D Minor, as well as works by Telemann, Hellendaal, and Purcell.
3 PM
Herbst Theatre
401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
$30 to $48
tickets online
SFEMS presents Antic Faces
“Joyne Hands” The exciting new Renaissance band Antic Faces brings together six world-class West Coast favorites to recreate the unique sound of the English mixed consort. This iconic Elizabethan ensemble-grouping was the first of its kind, specifically drawing from different instrument families (winds, bowed strings, plucked and strummed strings) to create a richly varied texture which quickly captured the imagination of composers in England and abroad. The playful dialogue between the violin and Renaissance flute, the virtuosic flash of the lute, the lushly intertwining support of the bass viol, against the shimmering backdrop of the wire-strung bandora and cittern: this truly irresistible combination, endowed with endless possibilities of invention and variety, became a centerpiece of courtly and theatrical entertainments.
The musicians of Antic Faces (Peter Hallifax, viol and bandora; Julie Jeffrey, viol and cittern; Shira Kammen, violin and viol; John Lenti, lute and viol; David Morris, viol; and Mindy Rosenfeld, flute) bring this music alive with their vibrant chemistry. The program will feature the best of the English mixed consort repertoire, based on songs and dances of the day, running the gamut in mood from rollicking to refined, including music of Dowland, Byrd, Morley, Phillips, Allison, and more. Selections for the big band will be mixed with moments showcasing the artistry of individual soloists. For textural contrast, the string consort (violin and viols) will intersperse a selection of Orlando Gibbons’ sonorous Fantasies and serene In nomines. Read more . . .
4 PM
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
1111 O’Farrell St., San Francisco
General $45, Seniors $40.50, SFEMS Members $38.25, Students with ID $15
Buy Tickets online, by email, [email protected], or by phone 510-528-1725
Tickets available at the church starting 45 minutes before the performance
www.sfems.org
Tactus
“Evolution and Identity,” a concert of Renaissance polyphony, sung in Latin, French, Esperanto, Sanskrit, English, Hebrew, and Turkish. The program features several world premieres on the theme by our own members and includes interludes played on organ and lute. Our Identity is a critical part of our moral compass, and when its core is challenged, destroyed, or lost, we can feel confused, bereft, and afraid. However, such challenges also result in critical introspection, determination, and eventually, Evolution, amalgamating into a stronger Identity that can thrive in newer climates.
4 PM
Saint Mary Magdalen Church
2005 Berryman St., Berkeley
Tickets online or [email protected]
Continue reading next week’s calendar . . .
