Readers may recall that, a little over a month ago, the California Bach Society (Cal Bach) was one of the first ensembles (if not the first) to perform before an audience in St. Mark’s Lutheran Church since lockdown conditions were imposed in response to COVID-19. At the beginning of next month, the 30-voice choir led by Artistic Director Paul Flight will return to St. Mark’s to present a Christmas-themed program. Given that the first program of the season featured music composed by three generations of the Bach family, it is worth noting that none of those many Bachs will contribute to the holiday spirit.
The portrait of Heinrich Schütz that graced the covers of all the Carus-Verlag albums of his complete works (painted by Christoph Spätner, from Wikimedia Commons, public domain)
Instead, the program will feature the music of Heinrich Schütz, who is generally regarded as the most important predecessor of Johann Sebastian Bach. Personally, I took that accolade seriously enough to accumulate all twenty volumes of the Carus-Verlag recordings of Schütz’ complete works through a project managed by Hans-Christoph Rademann. Schütz composed his SWV 435 setting of the Nativity with a German text with the simple title Christmas Story (Weinachtshistorie).
This music was probably performed for the first time at a Christmas service in 1660. It would have substituted for a reading of the Nativity texts from the Gospels. Schütz’ libretto uses Martin Luther’s German translations of the Gospels of both Luke and Matthew. The score amounts of a verse-by-verse account in short movements.
The chorus is in six parts” two sopranos, alto, two tenors, and baritone. There are solo parts for one soprano, one alto, three tenors, and three baritones. Narration by the “Evangelist” is a tenor part, which will be sung by Flight himself. The other “roles” in the libretto are those of an angel (soprano Caroline Jou Armitage) and Herod (baritone Sepp Hammer). Instrumental accompaniment will be provided by a Baroque orchestra consisting of Christine Meals and Rachel Hurwitz on violin, John Thomas and Becca Burrington on sackbut, Lars Johannesson and Alissa Roedig on recorders, Elizabeth Reed on treble viol, Danial Deitch on both treble viol and bassoon, Farley Pearce on cello, Cheryl Ann Fulton on harp, and Yuko Tanaka on organ.
The program will also include a multinational survey of Christmas Music. The composers range from two of Schütz’ predecessors to one currently living arranger of traditional Polish music. These seven selections revisit works that had been previously performed by Cal Bach between 2009 and 2019.
St. Mark’s is located at 1111 O’Farrell Street, just west of its intersection with Franklin Street. The performance will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday, December 3. General admission will be $35 with a $25 discount for seniors and $10 admission students and those under 30. A Web page has been created to process all ticket sales, and the alternative will be to call 650-485-1097. Sales should be finalized at least 24 hours before the concert. Sales at the door will be only be available if COVID-19 restrictions allow. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. All concert-goers must submit proof of vaccination, and masks must be worn at all times.
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