Friday, December 5, 2025 | 7:00 PM | Plymouth Church
1217 6th Avenue, Seattle
The Emerald Ensemble presents two great works for Christmas… that aren’t Handel’s beloved Messiah. First is the Berliner Messe by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, with interpolated Christmas texts. Pärt’s magical, atmospheric world captures the season with gentle, rich sonorities. There follows the Christmas Oratorio by the Romantic French composer Camille Saint-Saëns, which tells the Christmas story in manner at turns lyrical and pastoral.
We are thrilled to be joined by the Seattle Chamber Orchestra for this joint project. The performance will be conducted by their Artistic Director, Lorenzo Marasso. The Emerald Ensemble numbers sixteen singers—our largest ensemble since 2017—for these performances. The soloists will be singers from the Emerald Ensemble.
There will be an informal pre-concert lecture at 6:15pm, with conductor Lorenzo Marasso and chorus master Gary D. Cannon. Drinks and appetizers will be served.
See the concert program, with extended program notes, here.
Repertoire
- Arvo Part (b.1935) – Berliner Messe
- Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921) – Oratorio de Noël
Performing Artists
- Clarice Alfonso, soprano
- Joel Bevington, tenor
- Gustave Blazek, bass
- Marjorie Bunday, contralto
- Gary D. Cannon, tenor
- Erica Convery, mezzo-soprano
- Ben Grover, bass-baritone
- Jacob Herbert, bass-baritone
- Brandon Higa, tenor
- Natalie Ingrisano, soprano
- Dustin Kaspar, tenor
- Maria Männistö, soprano
- Melissa Plagemann, mezzo-soprano
- Ksenia Popova, soprano
- Kathryn Weld, mezzo-soprano
- Robin Wyatt-Stone, bass-baritone
with Seattle Chamber Orchestra
conducted by Lorenzo Marasso