Chirstmas Music (FREE! Lecture)

I don't remember exactly how it goes. Something about getting out of the oven and into the fireplace?

So, not complaining, but it seems that I get one major project done and have to jump to another one pronto.

Anyway, if you are in the Bay Area and would like to see and hear what has kept me away from blogging on a regular basis:

Tuesday, Dec. 7, 7pm at The National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi in North Beach, San Francisco, Alta California, I will be giving a FREE! lecture on the Sounds of Christmas. Liturgical music will be outside of the bounds of my talk (keeping to folk material and perhaps a little bit of baroque, if I can't resist mixing Latin and German), but otherwise it will be excruciatingly traditional. No "Rudolph the Tippling Reindeer" here!

You know how you go into a play and there are a million warnings:

"During this production members of the cast will smoke cigarettes.

There will be a loud bang in Act III that might startle you..."

All of the things to make drama safe for those who should not venture outside their bubbles.

Anyway, the warning on my lecture will have to be:

"During this lecture, musical examples from Southern Italy will be played that might make you yearn for the soothing lyricism of Anton Webern."

Of course, these examples will feature an instrument that is traditionally associated with Christmas. It is one of my favorite instruments (hint: no, it's not the harpsichord, although that is also one of my favorite instruments). Can you guess which instrument this is?

One way or another, you ought to show up to learn a little more about the music of Christmas!

Oh yeah, did I mention that it is FREE!?

Posted by erik at November 29, 2004 4:10 PM | TrackBack