Community Calendar

Testimonies draws from personal stories, historical documents, and academic revival, inviting the listener to engage with themes of heritage, home, and remembrance. Charlton Singleton’s Testimony evokes Gullah traditions and the music of the African Methodist Church, while Derrick Skye’s American Mirror reflects on American multiculturalism more broadly. Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate’s Pisachi (Reveal) draws on Pueblo and Hopi traditional music, and Shelly Washington’s Middleground meditates on home as both physical and emotional refuge. Testimonies encourages reflection on identity and cultural legacy.

Palaver Strings is a musician-led string ensemble and nonprofit organization based in Portland, ME. Their mission is to strengthen and inspire community through music. In their musician-led model, Palaver’s musicians share artistic and administrative leadership, guided by a passion for engaging new audiences, addressing social justice issues, and amplifying underrepresented voices. Equally committed to performance and education, Palaver presents a full season of live concerts and serves hundreds of students each year at the Palaver Music Center in Portland.

Musicians
Violin: Maïthéna Girault, Grant Houston
Viola: Elizabeth Moore
Cello: Matthew Smith

Down East Singers, conducted by Anthony Antolini, presents Buxtehude's "In dulci jubilo," Mozart's "Missa Brevis in F," and Celtic choral music of the season, accompanied by violinists Sophie Davis and Luke Fatora, cellist Ronan Sands and keyboardist Jennifer McIvor. Davis and Fatora will also play Celtic fiddle music as a duo.

Sheepscot Chorus invites you to their annual holiday concert on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 3:00 PM at the Boothbay Harbor Congregational Church. This concert features Benjamin Britten's magical "A Ceremony of Carols," performed with harpist Melody Lindsay, and conducted by artistic director Linda Blanchard. Tenor soloist David Myers-Wakeman and soprano soloists Jennifer Felkay and Marybeth McCaffrey will be featured.

"A Ceremony of Carols" was based upon poems found in the book "The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems." Britten discovered this book during a stopover in Halifax, Nova Scotia, while on a wartime voyage back to England from the United States in 1942. Drawn primarily from medieval and Renaissance verses, these texts inspired Britten to compose this beloved work. Sheepscot Chorus will present the SATB version of the piece, which was approved by the composer.

Holiday pops favorites will round out the second half of the program. Co-director and accompanist Sean Fleming has a knack for bringing together top-notch musicians for our holiday pops orchestra, sure to set toes tapping!

Tickets are $20 (free for children and students) and are available at sheepscotvalleychorus.org, in Boothbay Harbor at Sherman's Books and Stationary, and in Damariscotta Sherman's Bookshop & Café. For more information, please email info@sheepscotvalleychorus.org, or visit facebook.com/sheepscotchorus and sheepscotvalleychorus.org.

Chamber Series: Testimonies

Testimonies draws from personal stories, historical documents, and academic revival, inviting the listener to engage with themes of heritage, home, and remembrance. Charlton Singleton’s Testimony evokes Gullah traditions and the music of the African Methodist Church, while Derrick Skye’s American Mirror reflects on American multiculturalism more broadly. Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate’s Pisachi (Reveal) draws on Pueblo and Hopi traditional music, and Shelly Washington’s Middleground meditates on home as both physical and emotional refuge. Testimonies encourages reflection on identity and cultural legacy.

Musicians
Violin: Maïthéna Girault, Grant Houston
Viola: Elizabeth Moore
Cello: Matthew Smith

Come sing the choruses of Handel's masterpiece, Messiah, Part I and the Hallelujah Chorus with soloists Erin Chenard, soprano; Jazmin DeRice, contralto, David Myers-Wakeman, tenor, and John David Adams, bass. Mozart Mentors Orchestra and organist Sean Fleming accompany. Anthony Antolini, conductor.

From the musical heart of Leipzig, Germany comes amarcord, a mesmerizing five‑voice ensemble founded in 1992 by members of the famed St. Thomas Boys Choir. Celebrated for its exquisite sound, versatility, and radiant performances, amarcord is widely considered among the world’s premier a cappella groups.

The group’s holiday program includes Gustav Holst’s evocative In the Bleak Mid-Winter, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and other seasonal songs from around the world as well as medieval plainsong and madrigals.

A Paul Sullivan concert is much more than just a music recital. He engages his audiences with his personality as well as with his music. And over decades of making music the world over, Paul has also collected a large group of stunning musical friends, several of whom will be joining him tonight. With charm, eloquence, and a bit of Irish blarney, Paul makes everyone feel welcome, while offering insights and stories that make the experience unique. Plus—he’s just plain funny.

The DaPonte String Quartet presenting quartets by Haydn and Ives in Brunswick, Boothbay Harbor, Portland, Belfast and Waldoboro from December 6 to December 14. These two contrasting works in style and period make for an intriguing and wonderful musical experience. The second movement of the Second Quartet of Ives, for instance, entitled “Arguments”, has to be the most epic musical battle in history. The players become entirely “lost” (it should be underscored that it’s quite challenging to intentionally not play together) duking it out between a Tchaikovsky march and the Civil War tune “Marching Through Georgia”. Join us at one of our series concerts.

Midday Concert @ 1:00 on December 12 featuring Molly Gebrian, viola, and Danny Holt, piano

ELLSWORTH - Ellsworth Community Music Institute (ECMI) offers its next Midday Concert @ 1:00 on Friday, December 12 with Molly Gebrian, viola, and Danny Holt, piano and Molly Gebrian, viola. The concert will be held at the Moore Community Center Theater at 1:00pm. 125 State Street in Ellsworth, Maine. The series is sponsored by Ellsworth Community Music Institute (ECMI) with funding assistance from the City of Ellsworth and supported in part by a grant from the Onion Foundation. Admission is FREE to the public. Photo courtesy of the musicians.

Longtime friends and musical collaborators Molly Gebrian (viola) and Danny Holt (piano) are known for their dynamic performances and their passion for shining a spotlight on lesser-known classical composers. Their recent album, Trailblazers, features Gebrian’s transcriptions of rarely heard cello sonatas by three female composers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. On Friday, December 12th at 5:30pm, Danny Holt and Molly Gebrian will return to the Jesup Memorial Library (34 Mt. Desert Street, Bar Harbor) for the second concert in the “Music & Conversation” series. Visit www.jesuplibrary.org for more information.