The words free concert are sweet music to this DCist’s ears and probably yours, too. If you are not reading this because you already like classical music, our chances of getting you to follow our suggestions may improve if we recommend concerts that require no tickets or even real planning. It’s summer, so we’re going to make this as painless as possible.

NATIONAL CATHEDRAL SUMMER FESTIVAL:
>> There is a series of free concerts this month, the Summer Festival 2005, at Washington National Cathedral. Although it actually started last week, we decided to mention it this week, because it’s starting to get interesting. This Tuesday (July 12 at 7:30 p.m.), the 21st Century Consort, which is in residence normally at the Hirshhorn Museum, will present a program of modern music by Debussy, Schoenberg, Messiaen, and local composer Christopher Patton. The latter’s multimedia piece will feature lighting effects by Daniel MacLean Wagner, which should be a remarkable experience in a place like the National Cathedral.

>> On Friday (July 15 at 7:30 p.m.) the men of the National Cathedral Choir will present a program of choral works for male voices, Cathedral Men’s Voices in Concert, directed by Michael McCarthy. This will include, among other works, the excruciatingly beautiful settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah by Thomas Tallis and Francis Poulenc’s Four Prayers of St. Francis of Assisi. On Sunday (July 17 at 7:30 p.m.), several local choirs will join forces to present an all-Tallis program, including his famously outrageous motet for 40 parts, Spem in alium.

If free orchestral music is more your speed…