At 3 pm on Sunday, Dec 1, Early Music Michigan is offering a seasonal treat called "A Baroque Noël" at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Portage. Under the direction of Luke Conklin, a group of singers and period instrumentalists will perform Baroque music centered on the works of Marc-Antoine Charpentier, a significant 17th-century French composer.
The centerpiece is his 1694 Messe de minuit, or Midnight Mass for Christmas, weaving together 10 popular French carols. These carols, or noëls, were so familiar to audiences at the time that "it would be like writing a mass today on 'Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer,'" says Conklin.
A special highlight on Sunday is a Baroque oboe band, an ensemble that was ubiquitous in 17th- and 18th-century France. Musicians from as far as Cleveland and Detroit are joining the group and will play the noëls as stand-alone pieces before the full mass.
For details, visit the Early Music Michigan website. The concert is pay-what-you wish.
