“Baroque Garlands” at First Congregational Church

Step into the sound world of 18th-century Italy and France with music performed on period instruments, for an authentic experience, just like the first audiences would have heard it. “Baroque Garlands” opens with George Frideric Handel’s “Dixit Dominus,” written when the composer was just 22—an electrifying early work that showcases the power of the Philharmonia Chorale and foreshadows the bold choral writing of Handel's later masterpieces. Next comes Jean-Philippe Rameau’s “La Guirlande,” offering French dance rhythms, operatic arias, and a lighthearted tale of romance nearly undone by a bewitched garland. You'll be the first to hear this newly prepared edition from 1763 Versailles, for a modern premiere more than 200 years in the making. 

Baroque specialist and former longtime Philharmonia Baroque music director Nicholas McGegan leads the ensemble from the harpsichord, bringing his trademark infectious energy and flair for drama to this program. Rising stars Nola Richardson (soprano) and Aaron Sheehan (tenor) join forces with the Chorale. Richardson has been praised by The Washington Post for her “radiant” singing, while The New York Times hailed Sheehan as “superb.”