St. Matthew’s Music Guild to Present Annual Holiday Concert

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

St. Matthew’s Music Guild will host the “Annual Holiday Concert – A Baroque Christmas” on Friday, December 3, beginning at 8 p.m.

Part of the guild’s 37th season of concerts, the program will feature “Baroque masterpieces” by George Frederick Handel and Michel Corrette. The Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s and the Choir and Soloists of St. Matthew’s Parish will be led during the performance by Conductor and Music Director Dwayne S. Milburn.

“The ‘Concerto a due cori No. 1’ is one of three concerto Handel composed as intermission features for oratorio performances and showcases two ‘choirs’ of antiphonal strings and oboes,” according to a statement shared by the Music Guild ahead of the performance. “The concerto quotes much-loved choruses from the composer’s own oratorio, ‘Messiah.’ Corrette, taking inspiration from Handel, composed six delightful ‘Symphonie des noël’ based on well-known French carols of the 18th century. The Choir and Soloists of St. Matthew’s join the Chamber Orchestra to present Handel’s immortal ‘Messiah’ (Part I).”

As per tradition, the concert will close with the singing of the “Hallelujah” chorus.

The Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s was first established in 1985, according to a Music Guild program, by a group of professional musicians looking to “rehearse and perform a broad spectrum of music for chamber orchestra in an intimate and acoustically vibrant setting.”

To date, the orchestra has performed more than 300 concerts, with St. Matthew’s Music Guild amassing more than 150 subscribing households.

“The critically acclaimed orchestra counts as its regular and long-term members some of the finest freelance musicians in Los Angeles, who regularly appear in film and television, Grammy Award-winning recordings, and with other top-level orchestras in the city,” the program continued.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic with restrictions on live performances in place, the Music Guild hosted monthly virtual concerts via Zoom, which featured members of the orchestra and other area professionals. These concerts were attended by, on average, 75 households each month, September 2020 through June 2021.

As the concerts have returned to in person, St. Matthew’s Music Guild requires that everyone attending show proof of full vaccination at least two weeks prior to the concert. Attendees will also need to wear a mask.

“We will continue to follow the advice of medical authorities and update this policy when it is safe to do so,” according to the Music Guild website.

The concert will take place at St. Matthew’s Church, located at 1031 Bienveneda Avenue. Tickets are $35 or available as part of the Music Guild’s season pass.

Upcoming shows for the 2021-22 season include VOCES8, slated for February 25, 2022, and the Petronal Malan Piano Recital on March 25, 2022. All shows begin at 8 p.m.

For more information, including about tickets and season subscriptions, visit musicguildonline.org or call 310-573-7422.