Ars et Amici in concert: Abendmusik, Nov 16 in Concord

On Saturday, November 16 at 7:30 PM, the Concord-based vocal sextet Ars & Amici
presents Abendmusik, a rich concert of Baroque music from
17th-century Germany in the tradition of the Abendmusik (“evening
music”) concerts presented at the Lübeck Marienkirche. Started in
1646 when Franz Tunder was organist there, Abendmusik concerts
reached such a peak of fame under Tunder's successor, Dietrich
Buxtehude, that they attracted the presence of Handel, Mattheson, and
Bach, who made a 220-mile round trip on foot to hear them.

Ars & Amici's singers – Concord
area residents Harriet Bridges and Eileen Cecelia Callahan, sopranos;
Sheila Beardslee, alto (director); Keith Ohmart and Andrew Sigel,
tenors, and William Leonard, bass – will be joined by recorders, viola da gamba and chamber organ to perform psalms, motets, a
Magnificat and other sacred works by Franz Tunder, Andreas
Hammerschmidt, Heinrich Schütz, Dietrich Buxtehude and Melchior
Franck; the Bach family of musicians is well represented by Johann
Ludwig, Johann Michael and the great Johann Sebastian himself.

Guest organist Robert Barney, music
director at Trinity, will play the Huntington Chamber Organ with the
singers in addition to select solo works by North German organists.

Begun in 1996, Ars & Amici has brought American musicians to
Italy for 10-12 days of travel, cultural and historical study, and
performance. Under artistic director Sheila Beardslee, Ars &
Amici has toured Italy ten times; their most recent 2012 tour to
Venice and the Dolomites included performances in San Marco and a
mini-residency at St George's Anglican Church.

During the concert season, Ars &
Amici performs in a more intimate vocal ensemble throughout the
metroBoston area, often in collaboration with Concordia Consort.
Programs focus on thoughtful exploration of the passionate High
Renaissance works of English and Italian composers, and the works of
17th-century Baroque masters.

Admission to this concert is by suggested donation of $15, $10 for
students and seniors. Proceeds from the concert will be shared with
Trinity Episcopal Church. For further information, please call
978/264-0584 or visit our web page, www.arsetamici.org.
Trinity Episcopal Church, located at 81 Elm Street, is fully

handicap-accessible.