At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 22, we will enjoy the first in a new series of world-class events at our beloved Bethesda. The idea is to invite some of the best performers from around the world for concerts that are not available anywhere else in the region and which take great advantage of our beautiful architecture and acoustics. These will be excellent opportunities to enjoy a wonderful night out, to grow as a community, and to invite friends and family who may not have been here before.
This first concert features one of the world’s finest choirs. The eight professional voices of the group VOCES8, on tour from England, will offer a program of music that will delight the senses. I recall when they sang in Boston a few years ago: tickets sold out in minutes! We missed out; and we don’t want you to miss out this time. We’ve kept the cost reasonable in General Seating, at just $25 each. We are also offering the Music Supporters price, which begins with a Champagne Reception in the Parish Hall at 6:30 p.m., for $200, to help us plan the next incredible concerts. Tickets are available at this link right now. We shared this information with the parish first, and will be expanding to the broader media now; so don’t waste time planning your evening out! And share it with some friends and family.
Looking ahead, we will follow up two weeks later, on All Saints’ Sunday, November 6, with a Requiem liturgy at 4:00 p.m. The Bethesda Choir will be joined by an orchestra and soloists from Palm Beach Opera to offer Mozart’s masterpiece. The prelude will begin at 3:55 p.m. and this will be a rare opportunity to experience the Mozart Requiem in its intended liturgical context. It will be a perfect second event to invite all those friends and family so they can see us in another setting.
Our annual Christmas Concert & Carol Sing, also with orchestra, will be at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 14. Our cherished Boar’s Head and Yule log Festival will return on January 7 & 8. And then on Friday, February 24, we will have the honor of hosting Richard Elliott, Principal Tabernacle Organist to the Tabernacle Choir in Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah (aka the Mormon Tabernacle). Rick is a brilliant organist, and he will play the first full-length concert on our newly-refurbished Austin organ.
Each of these events will be a spectacular night out for you and provides an easy opportunity to invite friends, colleagues, and family to step inside Bethesda for the first time. It is the most unintimidating way to grow our Bethesda family (Episcopal evangelism!). Who are you inviting?
Stuart Forster
Associate for Music & Liturgy