Choices for February 17, 2019

The middle of next month is going to involve making a very hard choice, particularly for those interested in vocal music. As of this writing, there are three offerings, including both choral and vocal, with at least one hour of overlap among them. Without any attempt to tip the balance one way or the other, here they are, listed in order of starting time:

4 p.m., St. Mark’s Lutheran Church: American Bach Soloists (ABS) will begin its 2019 concert series with a return to its roots. When it was founded nearly 30 years ago, ABS focused on the rich repertoire of the cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach. The title of the February program is Favorite Cantatas. That is exactly what ABS will provide; and there will be four of them:

1. BWV 10: Meine Seel erhebt den Herren (my soul magnifies the Lord, known as the “German Magnificat”)
2. BWV 78: Jesu, der du meine Seele (Jesus, You, who are my soul)
3. BWV 80: Ein fest Burg ist unser Gott (a mighty fortress is our God)
4. BWV 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (awake, calls the voice to us)

ABS and the American Bach Choir will be joined by four soloists: soprano Nola Richardson, countertenor Jay Carter, tenor Zachary Wilder, and baritone Tyler Duncan.

St. Mark’s Lutheran Church is located at 1111 O’Farrell Street, just west of the corner of Franklin Street. Tickets are being sold for $89, $69, $52, and $35. They may be purchased online through an event page on the ABS Web site.

4 p.m., St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church: The title of the February concert to be presented by Clerestory will be Movement of Colors. This will be a kaleidoscopic program of vocal music connected to art, sculpture, and invention. In that last category the featured work will be Eric Whitacre’s “Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine.” Other composers included on the program will be Tomás Luis de Victoria, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Thomas Tallis, Carlo Gesualdo, Arvo Pärt, and Herbert Howells.

St. Gregory’s is located at 500 De Haro Street, at the foot of Potrero Hill. Tickets may be purchased in advance through an Eventbrite event page. General admission tickets are $25 with a senior rate of $15. There will also be a reduced rate of $5 for students.

5 p.m., Noe Valley Ministry: The title of the next LIEDER ALIVE! program will be Curtis on Tour. It will feature six artists from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Pianists Mikael Eliasen and Miloš Repický will accompany four vocalists: Sage DeAgro-Ruopp (soprano), Anastasiia Sidorova (mezzo), Dominic Armstrong (tenor), and Patrick Wilhelm (baritone). In celebration of Valentine’s Day weekend, they will join forces in a performance of Johannes Brahms’ Opus 52 Liebeslieder Waltzes. The remainder of the program will be devoted to vocal solos and duets.

The Noe Valley Ministry is located at 1021 Sanchez Street, between 23rd Street and Elizabeth Street. Single tickets are $75 for reserved seating, $35 for general admission, and $20 for students, seniors, and working artists when purchased in advance through an Eventbrite event page. Tickets at the door will be $40 with the discounted rate for students, seniors, and working artists.