A musical weekend: Picks include Fresno Pacific’s ‘Lessons & Carols,’ plus City College opera and Musica Viva in Kingsburg
The Fresno Pacific Concert Choir.
For music fans, some great options for you this weekend:
Carol tradition
A cherished Christmas tradition for Fresno Pacific University is the annual “A Festival of Lessons & Carols” featuring the university’s music ensembles. Through music and readings, the event tells the story of the promise of the Messiah and the birth of Jesus in nine lessons beginning with Genesis and including the prophetic books of the Bible and the Gospels. The order is based on a Church of England service first performed in 1918 at King’s College, Cambridge University.
Services will be 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24 in First Presbyterian Church, 1540 M St., Fresno.
FPU ensembles will be the Concert Choir, Women’s Chorale, Men’s Chorus, Crosswind vocal/instrumental troupe, the San Joaquin Chorale community choir and the Pacific Bronze hand bell choir. The congregation also will sing selections.
Admission is $10 for general audiences and $5 for members of the FPU community. Proceeds will benefit Fresno Pacific music programs. Advance tickets are available. For more information, call 559-453-2267.
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Opera at FCC
At Fresno City College, the Opera Workshop presents free performances of Gilbert & Sullivan’s English camp comedy “Iolanthe.” What happens when a fairy gets banished from fairyland for marrying a mortal?
Melissa Wolfmann directs.
The weekend’s performances continue 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Fresno City College Theatre.
Musica Viva
Text and music are combined in Musica Viva’s first concert of the season. Violinist Susan Doering and cellist Dieter Wulfhorst play compositions by Bartok, Drew, Igudesman, Mifune, and others.
The interdisciplinary program also features readings of poetry and texts which accompany the musical selections. The program is whimsical and comical at times and is appropriate for all ages.
The duo performs 7 p.m Saturday, Nov. 23, at Kingsburg’s Concordia Lutheran Church, 1800 Sierra St., Kingsburg. All Musica Viva presentations are free of charge; donations are accepted to offset expenses.
Musica Viva is distinctive in that it travels throughout the central San Joaquin Valley offering concerts. You can view the 2019-20 season here.
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David Lesser
Western Band Association Marching Band Championships happening at Buchanan and Kingsburg High Schools today and tomorrow.
Donald Munro
I’m going today!