John Clare

Christmas Concert includes Bach, Saint-Saens and Hierholzer

It is a busy time of year, but the Fredericksburg Chorale are prepared and ready for three concerts Friday and Saturday.

"We have all ages: sixteen, seventeen, twenty-year-olds to ninety, and ninety-five-year-old members! It really is a great mix, and a delight to hear the teamwork," says director Mark Hierholzer.

Hierholzer will have a new work on the program and lead selections from the keyboard.

Akiko Fujimoto is the assistant director of the San Antonio Symphony and her duties include giving pre-concert talks, knowing the repertory just in case (called cover conductor), conducting educational and pops concerts, and this year leading a new series of baroque concerts with musicians of the San Antonio Symphony. All of that happens to overlap this week with performances of the Nutcracker.

We love Top Ten lists just as much as the next guy, so here goes our Thanksgiving Edition! (click on the title to hear an example!)

#10. Leonard Bernstein: Turkey Trot (Divertimento)

#9. Trad, arr Carmen: Turkey in the Straw

Marguerite McCormick leads the Children's Chorus of San Antonio

It's an evening of seasonal music by candlelight presented by the "elite choirs": the Chamber Choir and Youth Chorale. This year CCSA brightens Laurel Heights United Methodist Church with their music!

"This is always a very special concert because we can do more with programming, we can feature more groups within the choruses because these youngsters are the elite, the advanced groups," says Marguerite.

Saturday November 17, at 7:00 pm

Friday night sees four new works by Darian Thomas at the Radius Center in San Antonio. 

It will include "Rant" - for solo viola with Jill Van Gee; "St. Anthony's Trio" - For string trio with Thomas, Darryl Tolliver, and Luke Bonecutter; "Juli-o" - For solo cello and rapper, featuring Luke Bonecutter and Derwin Mello Pokell Bios; and "The British Quartet." 

Ewa Kupiec plays Ravel's masterful Piano Concerto in G

Ewa has previously played Beethoven in San Antonio, and performed with maestro Sebastian Lang-Lessing several times, including the work they'll play this weekend.

"I trust him [Lang-Lessing], which is essential these days, when you're breathing together, and making music together, without tension, you know what is coming next, and you enjoy each other!"

It has been three years since the San Antonio Mastersingers performed Sing for the Cure, a work created by Pamela Martin and Brant Adams. Director John Silantien says "every time you look at it [Sing for the Cure], you can see something different, and it touches everybody! I mean it is just so powerful in its reach, and this topic of breast cancer, it seems like it is in everyone's life."

Donations are being accepted by the choral group, as well as "pink notes" that will be displayed at the concert.