Tapestry Singers’ annual holiday concert

Holiday and seasonal favorites performed by chorus and instrumentalists
Tue, 12/03/2019 - 8:45am

Story Location:
380 Academy Hill Road
Newcastle, ME 04553
United States

The Tapestry Singers are pleased to offer “Woven in Song,” their annual concert for the holiday season. They continue their journey into programming current choral repertoire from mostly living composers. The December concert, Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m.  and Sunday, Sept. 15 at 4 p.m., celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, and general merrymaking.

The concert opens with a colorful six-minute medley of beloved “Alfred Burt Carols” arranged for choir and orchestra by Ed Lojeski. Originally set as a cappella arrangements, these poignant songs of the season have become part of the standard choral canon. Recorded by many choirs and popular singers, the contemporary carols are considered by many to be some of the finest in the Christmas repertoire.

“Tapestry Singers rehearsals are a wonderful mix of digging deeply into the music and having good fun together,” says Director Beth Preston. “Some of the repertoire is very difficult, with harmonies and rhythms that are counter intuitive. The Tapestry Singers’ concert repertoire requires a commitment to practice outside the rehearsal and a high level of musicianship. We are pleased to have Lincoln Academy students in the mix again this year!"

The concert also features instrumentalists: Dino Liva and Carol Preston, violin; Kirsten Monke, viola; April Reed-Cox, cello; Kristen Fox, oboe; Marcus Hutchins, flute; Scott Johnston, trumpet; and the incomparable Sean Fleming on keyboard instruments.

As has become a Tapestry tradition, the concert will close with “Silent Night” in candlelit surround sound, followed by “Dona Nobis Pacem” (“Grant Us Peace”), with an invitation for the audience to sing along.

Both concerts will be held at St. Patrick’s Church, 380 Academy Hill Road, Newcastle. Tickets are $15 for adults, students and children free, and can be purchased online at tapestrysingersmaine.org. or at the door. The concerts are sponsored by H.M. Payson