offline...

The combination of the holidays and a bad cold/cough (possibly bronchitis) are going to keep me offline until 2012. Enjoy the offerings of First Night, and here, have a lovely video of my father playing a tenor horn solo in the rotunda of the Texas State Capitol building.

Monday link

This article about being an opera singer is very interesting. The part about "never feeling done" and working every day will surely feel familiar to musicians of all types!

Friday cat post

Check out this website Louis vs. Rick. The story of a man who taught his cat to use instant messaging. All the episodes are worth reading, but try this one on for size to start out!

Weekend Concert Calendar, 12/15/11

The last big choral concert weekend of December! (Next weekend is for the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day church services.) Don't forget to check the Messiah Sings list - there are still a lot of opportunities to sing the Messiah, although I only listed concerts below.

Also, the Christmas Revels in Sanders Theatre start on Friday! I will not list all the performances, as there are a billion, but go to their website to see times and buy tickets! If seeing this annual wonderful show is not part of your Christmas tradition, consider making it one this year.

Also, if you are on the South Shore, come to "Baroque Ornaments," a concert by the ensemble Saltarello at my very own church, First Parish Cohasset. With special guests Frances Fitch and Julia Steinbok, it's a concert I am very much looking forward to!

Friday:

• Boston Cecilia, "This Little Babe", 8:00 pm, Boston
• Blue Heron, "Christmas in Medieval England", 8:00 pm, Cambridge
• Chorus pro Musica, Respighi's Lauda per la Nativita del Signore, 8:00 pm, Boston
• NEC Millenium Gospel Choir, Annual December concert, 8:00 pm, Boston
• Boston Gay Men's Chorus, "This Shining Night - Annual Holiday Concert", 8:00 pm, Boston
  

Saturday:

• Concord Women's Chorus, "Lights of Memory", 2 pm, Concord
  
• Cappella Clausura (with Creationdance), "Gloria: A Renaissance Christmas Pageant", 3 pm, Weston AND 7 pm, Newton
• Boston Choral Ensemble, "A Choral Holiday", 3 pm, Boston
  
• Boston Saengerfest Men's Chorus, Holiday concert (with special guest Krista River), 4 pm, Weston
  
• Stämbandet, "The Nordic Holiday Tradition", 7 pm, Auburndale
• Lyricora, "Lyricora Christmas Concert", 7:30 pm, Boston
  
• Stile Antico, "Puer Natus Est - Tudor Music for Christmas and Advent", 8:00 pm, Cambridge
• Boston Camerata, "A Medieval Christmas", 8:00 pm, Lexington
• Blue Heron, "Christmas in Medieval England", 8:00 pm, Cambridge
• Boston Gay Men's Chorus, "This Shining Night - Annual Holiday Concert", 8:00 pm, Boston
• Cambridge Chamber Singers, "Christmas in a New Light", 8:00 pm, Boston
  

Sunday:

• Boston Cecilia, "This Little Babe", 3:00 pm, Brookline
• Handel & Haydn, "A Bach Christmas", 3:00 pm, Boston
• Cambridge Community Chorus, "Holiday Concert", 3:00 pm, Cambridge
  
• Cappella Clausura (with Creationdance), "Gloria: A Renaissance Christmas Pageant", 5 pm, Newton
• Coro-Dante, "An Italian Renaissance Christmas", 5:00 pm, Cambridge
  

Monday:

• Cappella Clausura (with Creationdance), "Gloria: A Renaissance Christmas Pageant", 8 pm, Cambridge
• Boston Gay Men's Chorus, "This Shining Night - Annual Holiday Concert", 8:00 pm, Boston

Tuesday:

• King's Chapel Concert Series, "Half-Hour Messiah", 12:15 pm, Boston
  
• Cappella Clausura (with Creationdance), "Gloria: A Renaissance Christmas Pageant", 8 pm, Jamaica Plain
• Exsultemus, Telemann's Harmonischer Gottesdienst, 8 pm, West Newton
• Boston Camerata, "A Medieval Christmas", 8:00 pm, Cambridge

Did I miss anything? Want to advertise your own vocal event? Leave it in the comments!

Weekend Concert Calendar, 12/8/11

'Tis the season...for a whole lotta choral concerts!

Friday:

• Boston Baroque, Handel's Messiah, 7:30 pm, Boston
• Dedham Choral Society, "¡Fiesta de Navidad! - Spanish Christmas Music", 7:30 pm, Boston
  
• Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus, Bach's Christmas Oratorio (Parts 1-3), 8 pm, Cambridge
• Boston Conservatory Combined Choruses, Beethoven's Mass in C, Op. 86, 8 pm, Boston
  
• Oriana Consort, "For Peace At Year's End", 8 pm, Cambridge
• Exsultemus, "Christmas in Spain and the New World", 8 pm, Boston

Saturday:

• Somerville Community Chorus, Britten's Ceremony of Carols, 3:00 pm, Somerville
• Concord Chorus, "English Carols and Romantic Favorites", 4:00 pm AND 7:30 pm, Concord
  
• The A Cappella Singers, "A Jubilant Song", 7 pm, Natick
• Boston Baroque, Handel's Messiah, 7:30 pm, Boston
• New World Chorale, "Holiday Pops", 7:30 pm, Milford
  
• Boston Camerata, "A Medieval Christmas", 8:00 pm, Boston
• Neponset Choral Society, Vivaldi's Gloria and Handel's Dixit Dominus, 8:00 pm, Foxborough
• The Broad Cove Chorale and Unicorn Singers, "A Musical Tour of Dickens' London", 8:00 pm, Hingham
  

Sunday:

• Braintree Choral Society, Resphigi's Laud To The Nativity, 2 pm, South Weymouth
• Cambridge Chamber Singers, "Christmas in a New Light", 2 pm, Newton
  
• Neponset Choral Society, Vivaldi's Gloria and Handel's Dixit Dominus, 2:30 pm, Foxborough
• Boston Gay Men's Chorus, "This Shining Night - Annual Holiday Concert", 3:00 pm, Boston
  
• Arlington-Belmont Chorale, "Not-Quite-Winter Concert" including Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, 3 pm, Arlington
• Paul Madore Chorale, Poulenc's Gloria and seasonal works, 3 pm, Swampscott
• Boston Camerata, "A Medieval Christmas", 3:30 pm, Newbury
• Copley Singers, "Holiday Concert", 3:30 pm, Charlestown
  
• The Master Singers of Lexington, Conrad Susa's Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest and a local premiere by Pamela Marshall, 4 pm, Lexington
• Youth Pro Musica, Annual Winter Concert, 4:00 pm, West Newton
• Choral Art Society, "Peace and Joy", 4:00 pm, Scituate
• The Broad Cove Chorale and Unicorn Singers, "A Musical Tour of Dickens' London", 4:00 pm, Cohasset
  
• Oriana Consort, "For Peace At Year's End", 5 pm, Boston
• Quincy Choral Society, "He is Born!", 7:30 pm, North Quincy
  

Did I miss anything? Want to advertise your own vocal or choral event? Leave it in the comments!

Messiah sings 2011

Lift up your heads, and be ye lift up! It's time for the annual Messiah Sings post. These are all the Messiah sings in the area that I was able to find. If I missed one, or if you have further information about one of the sings listed, please leave a comment. I will edit the post to include updates; edits will appear in bold type. Note that this is sings only; for performances, keep your eye on the Weekend Concert Calendars to come.

Fri. 12/2: Messiah Sing to benefit Project Bread. 7:30 pm. At All Saints Parish, Brookline. Tickets $10. Scores provided, or bring your own.

Sat. 12/3: Cambridge Community Chorus Messiah Sing. 1:00 pm. At the Dante Alighieri Society in Cambridge. Tickets $10. Scores available, or bring your own. More info here.

Sun. 12/4: St. Paul's Episcopal Church Messiah Sing. 5 pm. At St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Brookline. More info here.

Thurs. 12/8: Annual Dunster House Messiah Sing. 8:00 pm (time not confirmed). At Dunster House, Harvard University. Free and open to the public. With soloists and orchestra. More info here.

Fri. 12/9: The Roxbury Latin School Messiah Sing. 7:30 pm. At Roxbury Latin School, West Roxbury. Free. With soloists. Scores provided, or bring your own. More info here.

Sat. 12/10: Messiah Sing to benefit Healing Hands for Haiti. 4:00 pm. At St. John's Episcopal Church, Jamaica Plain. Tickets $10. With soloists and fortepiano accompaniment. More info here.

Sun. 12/11: Sudbury Memorial Congregational Church Annual Messiah Sing. 3:00 pm. At Sudbury Memorial Congregational Church, Sudbury. More info here.

Sun. 12/11: Carter Memorial United Methodist Church Messiah Sing. 3 pm. At the Carter Memorial United Methodist Church, Needham. With orchestra and soloists. Scores available, or bring your own. More info here.

Sun. 12/11: Assabet Valley Mastersingers Messiah Sing. 3:30 pm. At Trinity Church in Northborough. With soloists. Scores available, or bring your own. More info here.

Sun. 12/11: St. Peter's Church in Weston Messiah Sing. 4:00 pm. At St. Peter's Church, Weston. Free. With soloists. Limited scores available, or bring your own. More info here.

Tues. 12/13: Brandeis University Messiah Sing. 4 pm. At the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium, Brandeis University. FREE! Scores available, or bring your own. With the Brandeis-Wellesley orchestra. More info here.

Wed. 12/14: Cathedral Church of St. Paul Annual Messiah Sing. 12:15 pm. At the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, downtown Boston. More info here.

Fri. 12/16: Masterworks Chorale 50th Annual Messiah Sing. (Also Saturday.) 8:00 pm. At Cary Hall, Lexington. With soloists and orchestra. Scores provided, or bring your own. More info here.

Sat. 12/17: Masterworks Chorale 50th Annual Messiah Sing. (Also Friday.) 8:00 pm. At Cary Hall, Lexington. With soloists and orchestra. Scores provided, or bring your own. More info here.

Sun. 12/18: Harvard Unitarian Church Messiah Sing. 5:00 pm. At the Harvard Unitarian Church in Harvard, MA. With soloists and orchestra. Scores available for purchase or bring your own. More info here.

Sun. 12/18: Belmont Open Sings Messiah Sing. 7:30 pm. (Weather make-up date is Tues. 12/20.) At the Payson Park Church, Belmont. Tickets $10. With soloists and orchestra. Scores provided, or bring your own. More info here.

Sun. 12/18: Nashoba Valley Chorale Messiah Sing. 3 pm. At the Congregational Church of Littleton. More info here.

Did I miss one? Should I add more details to one I've listed? Leave a message in the comments!

Small life update - Head Voice Mix

One of the kids in my college chorus was finding it really challenging to get up into her head voice last week. I asked her what she had been listening to lately, and she said, "Johnny Cash."

So I put her on a strict No-Johnny-Cash diet until the concert is over tomorrow, but to give her some good stuff to listen to, I also made her a head-voice mix, assembled out of the collective wisdom of my Facebook community. Here's what I ended up with:

1.) Samson by Regina Spektor
2.) Angel by Sarah McLachlan
3.) Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush
4.) Mushaboom by Feist
5.) Kiss the Flame by Jewel
6.) When You Say Nothing At All by Alison Krauss
7.) One Voice by The Wailin' Jennys
8.) Walk or Ride by The Ditty Bops
9.) Lovin' You by Minnie Riperton
10.) Heart of Glass by Blondie
11.) Xanadu by Olivia Newton-John
12.) Emotions by Mariah Carey

This was a very interesting project, as I hardly ever listen to most of these artists, but analyzing them from a vocal technique standpoint gave me a new appreciation for a lot of them. Especially Mariah Carey!

Monday link

Some good rules for choirs. I hope my choirs are paying attention! Via Danica Buckley.

Friday cat post

Two cat videos today, one from my mother (uplifting! cute!), the other from my father (hilarious! somewhat disturbing! cute!).

Weekend Concert Calendar, 12/1/11

This is a big weekend - Cantilena, conducted by yours truly, is having their annual winter concert this Sunday at 3 pm! We are presenting "An American Christmas" with music and texts by American composers and poets. I am very proud of the program I assembled, which has a little bit of everything - some familiar tunes, some unfamiliar tunes, some contemporary music, some folk music, some gospel. We are particularly excited to be presenting a premiere by Ken Seitz (the director emeritus) written just for us. Details are as follows:

Cantilena: An American Christmas
Dec. 4, 3 pm
First Parish Arlington
630 Mass. Ave, Arlington Center
$20/$12 stu/sen

In addition to the concerts below, don't forget there are Messiah sings every day this weekend!

Friday:

• Handel & Haydn, Handel's Messiah, 7:30 pm, Boston
• Boston College University Chorale, excerpts from Handel's Messiah and traditional carols, 8:00 pm, Newton
  

Saturday:

• Handel & Haydn, Handel's Messiah, 3:00 pm, Boston
• deVaronistas, "Great Day!", 4:00 pm, Cambridge
  
• Cantemus, “Shining Night: Songs of a Night Sky”, 7:30 pm, Beverly Farms
  
• Sharing a New Song, Selections from Classical, Gospel, Holiday, and World Music, 7:30 pm, Arlington
• Polymnia, "A Victorian Christmas", 7:30 pm, Melrose
• Simmons College Concert Choir, "Serenade" Winter Concert, 7:30 pm, Boston
  
• Harvard Pro Musica, presenting excerpts from Handel’s Messiah and other seasonal selections, 7:30 pm, Harvard, MA
• Halalisa Singers, "Songs of Light", 8:00 pm, Lexington
  
• Harvard Glee Club and Radcliffe Choral Society, "Christmas in Sanders", 8:00 pm, Cambridge
• Musica Sacra, "Lessons and Carols", 8:00 pm, Cambridge
• Boston College University Chorale, excerpts from Handel's Messiah and traditional carols, 8:00 pm, Newton
• Boston Camerata, "The Sacred Bridge", 8:00 pm, Cambridge
• MIT Concert Choir, Faure's Requiem and works by Thomson and Howells, 8:00 pm, Cambridge
• Three Rivers Chorus, "It Is At Moments", 8:00 pm, Sudbury
• Exsultemus, Baroque vocal cantatas by Telemann, 8:00 pm, Newton
• Harvard's Kuumba Singers, Annual Winter Concert, 8:00 pm, Cambridge
  

Sunday:

• Cantilena, "An American Christmas", 3:00 pm, Arlington (directed by ME!)
• Boston College University Chorale, excerpts from Handel's Messiah and traditional carols, 2:00 pm, Newton
  
• Arlington-Belmont Chamber Chorus, Holiday concert including Bach's Cantata 142, 3:00 pm, Belmont
• Halalisa Singers, "Songs of Light", 3:00 pm, Sudbury
• Mishawum Choral Society, Christmas Concert, 3:00 pm, Winchester
  
• A Cappella Singers, "Holiday Festival Concert with Metrowest Symphony Orchestra", 3:00 pm, Framingham
• Handel & Haydn, Handel's Messiah, 3:00 pm, Boston
• Vienna Boys' Choir, Holiday Program, 3:00 pm, Boston
  
• Cantemus, “Shining Night: Songs of a Night Sky”, 4:00 pm, Newburyport
• Zamir Chorale of Boston, Handel's Judas Maccabeus, 4:00 pm, Chestnut Hill

Did I miss anything? Want to advertise your own musical event? Leave it in the comments!

Messiah Sings post - preview!

The annual Messiah Sings post is coming, but while I am assembling it, here is a preview - I don't want you to miss anything coming up this weekend or next week. The first one is at All Saints Parish, and it's tomorrow!

First off, if you are tired of the Messiah and want to sing something else, the Zamir Chorale of Boston will oblige you! They are holding their annual open sing of Handel's Judas Maccabeus this Sunday, Dec. 4 from 4-6 pm at Congregation Mishkan Tefila in Chestnut Hill. The sing-along program will also feature synagogue classics. $10, but free admission for conductors or conducting students! Scores provided.

Fri. 12/2: Messiah Sing to benefit Project Bread. 7:30 pm. At All Saints Parish, Brookline. Tickets $10. Scores provided, or bring your own.

Sat. 12/3: Cambridge Community Chorus Messiah Sing. 1:00 pm. At the Dante Alighieri Society in Cambridge. Tickets $10. Scores available, or bring your own. More info here.

Sun. 12/4: St. Paul's Episcopal Church Messiah Sing. 5 pm. At St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Brookline. More info here.

Thurs. 12/8: Annual Dunster House Messiah Sing. 8:00 pm (time not confirmed). At Dunster House, Harvard University. Free and open to the public. With soloists and orchestra. More info here.

Did I miss anything that's coming up in the next week? Let me know in the comments!