Taking someone you love to a Holiday Concert is a great December tradition, but how do you know what you will like? Are there really that many choices? We dealt with Messiah performances earlier this week, but here are the season’s best and not so best, all around Washington. Use the comments section if we’ve missed something.
INTERESTING:
>> The Folger Consort gives the best Christmas concert in Washington, with excellent performances of unusual repertory. The program this year is called Greensleeves: Christmas at the Court and Chapel of Henry VIII, held as always in the beautifully decorated Elizabethan Theater at the Folger Shakespeare Library. See their web site for concert dates, which start December 15.
>> Closely competing this season, however, is an excellent program put together by the fine choral group Chantry, with the Orchestra of the 17th Century on historical instruments. Two gorgeous works for Christmas back to back: Palestrina’s Missa Hodie Christus natus est and Schütz’s Christmas Oratorio. There is only performance, at the church of St. Mary Mother of God (727 Fifth St. NW). December 16 (8 p.m.)
>> The The Metropolitan Chorus has programmed one of the more unusual holiday concerts this Sunday, Season’s Greetings, in which they will be joined by the Washington Balalaika Society. That means the theme must be Russian. Thomas Jefferson Theater (125 S. Old Glebe Rd., Arlington). December 10 (3 p.m.)
