The Boston Camerata to host two special Christmas programs

The Boston Camerata is hosting two special Christmas programs in the Greater Boston area this December. The first is A Mediterranean Christmas on December 2 at the First Lutheran Church in Boston at 8:00 p.m.

The program highlights the holiday season with songs, changes, and instrumental pieces from Mediterranean countries like Spain, Italy, southern France, North Africa and the Holy Land. The Boston Camerata will also be joined by SHARQ Arabic Ensemble for the performance.

The second program is Carols at Midnight, on December 18 at the First Church Congregational in Cambridge at 8:00 p.m. This performance will feature French Christmas music written for voices, viols, flutes, harp and organ. The night will feature a candlelit performance of Charpentier’s beloved Messe de Minuit as the centerpiece of the evening.

Founded in 1954, The Boston Camerata has been under the direction of French-born singer and scholar Anne Azéma since 2008.

“I love the diversity of these programs this season,” Azéma said. “They reflect my own voyage of discovery,” she continued.

“As a child growing up in France, I heard so many of these French carols at home and at church. Then, as a working professional, I discovered, and studied, Arabic and Middle Eastern traditions with colleagues from SHARQ Ensemble in the U.S. and also through several engagements in Morocco. Bringing all this incredibly varied music of celebration to Boston and elsewhere, with the Camerata, is a joy!”

Tickets for both nights start at $10 and are available at www.bostoncamerata.org

A Mediterranean Christmas
December 2 at 8pm | First Lutheran Church, Boston

Carols at Midnight: French Christmas Music 1500-1700
December 18 at 8pm, First Church Congregational, Cambridge