Weekend Concert Calendar, 12/6/07

I am sorry to say that yours truly has come down with a nasty case of the flu, the highlight of which is an extremely swollen throat, not to mention fever, chills, aches, exhaustion, etc. So, you will not be getting your usual thorough review of the local choral offerings for this weekend. You will only get three, for which I feel a distinct personal attachment.

High on your priority list is The Boston Cecilia's holiday concert, called O Magnum Mysterium. This will be on Friday (tomorrow!) December 7 at Church of the Advent in Beacon Hill at 8 pm, and also on Sunday, December 9 at All Saints Parish in Brookline at 3 pm. The chorus will be singing some really beautiful, spiritual music by Britten, Tavener, Victoria, and more. If you went to my graduate conducting recital, you will recognize at least one piece - Village Wedding by John Tavener. This is going to be a very beautiful, ethereal concert. Friends AG and JL will be singing in the chorus. And on Friday, my dad will be conducting one of the pieces! My parents both came to Cecilia's gala last fall, and my dad bid on, and won, the chance to conduct Cecilia. It's his conducting debut - come support him! (On Sunday, I will be conducting the same piece - since it's the only accompanied piece on the program, and the conductor is accompanying it, she needed another conductor for Sunday's performance. I think she appreciated the symmetry.)

That leaves your Saturday free. You have two options. (Well, you probably have a billion, because it's December in Boston, but I'm going to inform you of two.)

The Cambridge Madrigal Singers, featuring friend JS, will be performing “Rise Up, Shepherd: Renaissance and Contemporary Christmas Music.” They will be singing Saturday December, 8th at 8 p.m. at the Harvard Epworth United Methodist Church , 1555 Massachusetts Ave , Cambridge. They will also be singing Sunday, December 9th at4 p.m. at the Lindsey Chapel at Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury St. , Boston. Tickets are $18; $12 for students and seniors. More information is here. I used to sing with this group, and I remember always getting to do interesting programs. I am going to try and get to the concert, but it rather depends on how I'm feeling.

Also, the Oriana Consort, directed by the delightful and energetic Walter Chapin, will be singing on Saturday, December 8, 2007 at 8:00 pm at the First Lutheran Church of Boston. More information, as well as the program, can be found here.

I am now off to order some takeout and climb back into bed. Wish me luck getting through two concerts to manage, not to mention a rehearsal on Saturday morning, this weekend!