Classical Music

A local classical music tradition continues when the Columbia Pro Cantare Chamber Singers perform "A Christmas Noel" concert on Sunday, Dec. 9, at 3 p.m., at Christ Episcopal Church, in Columbia. Comprised of a 28-voice choir culled from within the full chorus, the chamber ensemble has done this Christmas-themed program every year since 1995. Although some of the vocal selections get repeated from one year to the next, the general idea is to explore a wide range of music from the Renaissance to the present.

Columbia Pro Cantare opens its 36th season with a choral blast when it does Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" on Saturday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m., at Jim Rouse Theatre at Wilde Lake High School. It's such a popular piece of classical music that audiences seemingly just can't get enough of it. On the local concert scene, Columbia Pro Cantare performed it most recently in 2008; and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will be doing this so-called "scenic cantata" in June 2013. "It really brings people into the concert hall," says Columbia Pro Cantare Music Director Frances Motyca Dawson, adding that recession-hit classical music organizations are "programming things with broad appeal to their audiences.

It was a quiet night for a revolution. People at the bar in Joe Squared Station North sat huddled over drinks and conversations. Folks occasionally strolled in to pick up pizza orders or headed to dining tables in the back. Few even glanced at the small group of musicians nestled by the storefront window playing Bach. But those players, members of a national movement called Classical Revolution, soldiered on for several hours, dedicated to the cause of bringing a venerable old art form into unexpected places.

Every Tuesday at Glen Meadows Retirement Community in Glen Arm, residents wave wooden batons, sway their hips and move to the sounds of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" and other classical music pieces. Led by Bob Hunter, the activities director for the facility, the 30-minute Music 'N Motion class is a physical, social, intellectual and spiritual experience. How it got started: While doing research, Hunter found that adding music to exercise increases motor coordination and other body functions.

These dog days of summer, when concert halls are terribly quiet around here, are a perfect time for classical music fans to do a little homework that will pay off in the new season. Folks who have never heard, say, Leonard Bernstein's "Kaddish" Symphony, or any other off-the-beaten-path works scheduled in the months ahead can get a lot more out of those experiences with some preparation now. Let's face it: Audiences don't spend much time diligently reading their program books before a performance starts.

In the latest example of the trend of spinning off movies, music and more from books, author E.L. James has selected an album of classical music featured in her "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy. Baltimore Sun music critic Tim Smth says it's sure to bring a much wider audience to masterworks. Smith notes that one of the pieces mentioned in "Fifty Shades," a years-old recording of music from Thomas Tallis, has hit No. 1 on the UK Classical Singles Chart. James chose 15 pieces for the album, which will be released digitally on Aug. 15; the CD will be released Sept.

Sunday, July 29 Classical music The Carrollton Brass Quintet presents a "thank you" concert on behalf of the outgoing music director at Galilee Lutheran Church, Joel Borrelli-Boudreau, at 7 p.m. at 4652 Mountain Road in Pasadena. The program includes music from the baroque, classical, romantic and American genres. Free. A reception follows. Information: 410-255-8236. Children's music The summer concert series at Historic London Town and Gardens continues with Bridgette and the Band performing from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 839 Londontown Road in Edgewater.

In classical music terms, one quartet plus one quartet equals an octet. You can hear that mathematical formula for yourself when the American String Quartet is joined by the Ariel String Quartet for a Candlelight Concert Society program on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. in Howard Community College's Smith Theatre. Actually, most of the program is devoted to the American String Quartet performing on its own. This venerable ensemble will have no problem occupying the stage. Formed in 1974 by musicians who were students at New York's Juilliard School, the group got off to a fast start when it won the Naumburg Chamber Music Award and Coleman Competition.