Director

From whence comes our American Christmas tradition? Wassailing is ancient – it has variously meant welcoming, drinking, singing along, giving alms, or celebrating them all at once with a special mulled drink: the wassail! Bjarte Eike, Steven Player, and Emi Ferguson lead us on a merry merging of music and myth, creating a vibrant new tradition that deepens our roots to our antic past. Come sing, laugh, and recall a younger time when the nights were long, the frost was deadly, and pagan spirits and holy saints mingled in harmony. This performance will include refreshments.

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Winter Wassail

Scottish Rite Temple

England’s finest Renaissance composer was a covert Catholic facing brutal prosecution in the English Reformation. Nonetheless, he persisted, composing clandestine services for worshippers who risked everything for their faith. Hear Byrd’s divine Mass for Five Voices as he intended: sung one-on-a-part in strictest secrecy.

Secret Byrd

The Powerhouse Theater at Vassar College welcomes Concert Theater Works’ presentation of “The Chevalier.” This first-ever staging of the longer theatrical Chevalier production carries Joseph Bologne's story through the French Revolution. These two performances of the musical play will also feature a chamber orchestra comprising members of The Harlem Chamber Players. If you happen to be in the Poughkeepsie area, we hope you will join us for one of the two performances at the Powerhouse Theater.

The Chevalier at Vassar College

Vassar College

Written and directed by Bill Barclay, the true story of three immigrants whose lives are intertwined by the pending French Revolution – Marie Antoinette, W.A. Mozart, and Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the first classical composer of color. The BPO concert and theatre performance, featuring four actors and solo violin, highlights Bologne’s extraordinary life and compositions.

The Chevalier

Kleinhans Music Hall

Romeo and Juliet: A Theatrical Concert, is a groundbreaking collaboration between the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Concert Theatre Works, and acclaimed director Bill Barclay. This co-commissioned production—also supported by the Royal Albert Hall and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, features live actors in costume, dynamic staging, and even sword fighting on stage. This performance goes beyond traditional concert presentations to create an immersive theatrical experience. The orchestra will perform alongside the action, blending Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy with some of the most evocative music ever written for the story.

Director

Bill Barclay

Events

Upcoming events

13 - 15 Feb, 2026

Romeo and Juliet: A Theatrical Concert · Hartford Symphony Orchestra

13 - 15 Feb, 2026

HSO Masterworks Series: Romeo and Juliet: A Theatrical Concert · Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts

Past events

Dec 15, 2023

Winter Wassail · Performance Santa Fe

14 - 15 Nov, 2023

Secret Byrd · Performance Santa Fe

About

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